


Super Danganronpa 2: Matsuda Yasuke's Battle of Despair and Wits

by starrylitme



Series: Neo World Program File Zero [1]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa Zero, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Background Relationships, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Gen, M/M, Mental Instability, Multi, What-If
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-05
Updated: 2019-10-22
Packaged: 2019-10-23 00:20:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 94,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17672852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starrylitme/pseuds/starrylitme
Summary: Matsuda Yasuke wasn't killed by Enoshima Junko at the end of dr0. Instead he survives to the point where he ends up joining the 77-B Class in the NWP. When an already unwanted island vacation of forced camaraderie goes even more awry with the announcement of a killing game, let's just see how long this sharp-tongued brainiac is going to last before he loses his goddamn mind.Thankfully, he's on the smarter side so things should be better than before, right? Right?(Spoilers: Nope.)





	1. Program: Start! (Enter Matsuda Yasuke)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we're off to a great fucking start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello! This is finally here after a long time coming! I've already written a couple of stuff for the "Matsuda Survives AU" but this is definitely going to be the biggest project, being the one that actually covers the events of sdr2. It's one of those Alternate Scenarios fics, although it takes a kind of halfsies approach with some events being pretty much the same and others being pretty different. It'll still be quite a bit so please bear with me.
> 
> Matsuda Yasuke is definitely one of my absolutely favorite dgrp characters and while I think his death was thematically appropriate, I also think that he'd make a really fantastic protagonist for sdr2 and I just couldn't get the idea out of my head. So! Here it is!!! Hinata is still there and still pretty important but Matsuda is the main focus.
> 
> Note: I'll be using various sdr2 media for reference from different translations (for the sake of convenience) and the various manga. I'm also going to include bonus scenes for the hell of it, but will be compiling them elsewhere to be linked to later.
> 
> This first 'chapter' (part? section?) is on the short side, so enough rambling and let's deep dive right in!

“To cultivate the world’s talent and pave the way for the future... This is why we need someone like you.”

“...someone like me, huh?”

_Yeah. I already know what to expect._

**_I’m just here to get used._ **

* * *

To say that Hope’s Peak Academy was a significant place would almost be a dire understatement. Hope’s Peak Academy has been a big name for as long as _anyone_ could remember.

Their stated goal is to supposedly gather and nurture the world’s talent to become a breeding ground of sorts for what they call ‘hope’. A ‘hope’ that will lead the future for not only the nation, but for humanity at large. It’s _that_ kind of place.

To be scouted meant you were the best of the best in your field, an **Ultimate** of whatever field that may be, and such was pretty much every kid’s dream. Even if you weren’t looking to better civilization or what the hell ever, to graduate from Hope’s Peak basically _guaranteed_ you’d be set for life. If you could make it to Hope’s Peak, you could make it anywhere.

That’s where he stands on the matter.

_It’s a snobby elitist school run by pompous hacks who just want to flaunt their superiority—but it’s a snobby elitist school with resources and connections that anyone would murder to get their hands on._

So, he supposes he’s lucky, then, to be scouted for a talent that was definitely going to be closely scrutinized and paraded about. Well. It’s nothing he’s unused to.

_But here’s probably the best place for it._

It’s not like it matters anyway.

Neurological technologies have come far, but there are still aspects where they fall short. The last place he resided was nothing to sneeze at on its own, but compared to Hope’s Peak Academy’s supposed technological branch... There was practically a gulf in between that could’ve encapsulated an ocean.

_If I want to get as far as I can, I’d **have** to come here. That’s all there is to it. That’s just the way this world works._

He doesn’t like it, but it’s not like that matters. It simply was what it was. He thinks that as he takes his first step through the gate, holding his breath as he does.

He thinks that. He _thinks_ that. He thinks that, he thinks he thinks he thinks he _thinks_ that, **_but_** —

But—

_B̵͔͗u̶̩̒t̷̜͠—̵̮̈́_

**_B̶̛͖̝̅͜ ̸̹̜̍ŭ̷͙͎̘̽͗ ̵͓̮̱͂̕̚t̴̘͒͐—̷̺͍̟̝̇̇͠_ **

* * *

_It hurts. It really, **really** hurts._

* * *

When he finally comes to, he’s in a place that’s awfully strange. It’s a hallway—or isn’t it a hallway? But there’s a door up ahead. There’s a muffled chatter of people. A lot of it. It’s coming from the door.

His classmates, then? It must be his class. He should go, then.

It’s not like he really has a choice.

_Ỹ̵̆̽ͅơ̷̥̞u̵̩͛̌’̵̞͉̅̆̓v̴̹̼͓͘̚e̵̴̢̬̯̟͒̄͢͠ ̶̷̱̭̱̞̏͗̈͛͢ **n̶͓̈́̎ẻ̶̷̛͎̠͔̑͢v̷̟̮̏͛̆e̷͚̺̤̐̏͘ř̷̸̫̬͔̳̈́̔͢͝͠** ̸͚͒̈́͒h̷̟̬̃ḁ̸̩̈́̀d̵̳̠̑ ̸̟̰̒á̸̺͍̈́̃ ̵̧̹̔̋͜c̴͉̤̀̿ḩ̴̝̃̅̏o̸̗͍̺͗̓i̸̦͎͋̄̕c̷̭͋̉ḙ̷̙̱̆̄.̶̺̘̹́_

Matsuda Yasuke shoves the door open, and stumbling in blindly, face twisted up from a sudden bursting pain in his head. He didn’t even notice where he had ended up until he ran smack into someone’s back.

“H-Hey...!”

“Huh?”

“What _is_ this?”

“Hey, that’s another person, isn’t it?! Then, doesn’t that make the number seventeen?!”

“But there’s...not enough desks...”

“What does it _mean_ , then?”

“I was wrong, then...?”

“So who’s going to help the new guy out?”

“He doesn’t look like he’s in the best mood...”

“H-Hey, why weren’t you watching where you were going...? Who _are_ you...?”

_It hurts. It really, **really** hurts._

“Urgh.” Matsuda rubs his head, grumbling as he does. “Noisy... Too fucking noisy... Shut the hell up... All of you...”

“Huh?”

“Huh?”

“ _Huh_?”

Slowly but surely, he opens his eyes, blinking a few times as his vision strained to focus properly. A class. A class full of colorful characters, all looking at him with wide eyes. In particular, some chestnut-haired weirdo was looking particularly unnerved and stood directly in front of him.

_This is who I ran into, then._

“You’re Matsuda-kun, right?” He perks up and the living embodiment of a messed up cotton swab is the one speaking. “You don’t remember how you got here either, do you?”

“What the _fuck_?”

“That doesn’t sound super promising,” someone remarked.

And then, the chatter reignited with a _vengeance_.

“Considering how disoriented he looks, he doesn’t seem to recall anything, either. This really is strange.”

“B-But... He really is looking rather worryingly pale... Um...”

“Are you okay, Matsuda-kun?”

“Hey, wasn’t the door like, sealed shut not two seconds ago before he came barreling in? What the actual hell?”

“To be sealed again... What kind of devil’s work _is_ this...?”

“This just keeps getting weirder and weirder...!”

“So someone’s really trying to trap us?!”

“But who would _do_ such a thing?”

“I can’t think of anyone...”

“ ** _Waaaaaaah_**! Are we going to be stuck here until we starve?! Where are the teachers?! Where’s anybody?! What the **_hell_** is going on?!”

Urgh. **_Urgh_**.

His head really was hurting from all this, so he couldn’t help but snap.

“Everyone, _just shut the hell up_!”

Silence. Abrupt silence. His head was still throbbing but it was starting to subside. Wincing, he finally takes the opportunity to get a proper look around. A plain, ordinary classroom. With 16 colorful characters. All looking at him fucking weirdly.

_Even without the literal pain, this is a migraine and a half. This kind of situation..._

“There’s really no need to be alarmed.”

A new voice, entirely different from what he’s heard before. Sugary, disgustingly sweet, and before Matsuda could turn on his heel, something sprung from the teacher’s podium.

Said something was definitely—a thing. A round, pink, sparkling _thing_ , flourishing a magical wand with fluttering little angel wings.

It was a rabbit. A bouncing, beaming stuffed rabbit that was waving around its fucking magical wand.

“Magical Miracle Girl ☆ _Usami_! At your service!” Another flourish. “Round, kyuute, made of felt, and full of wuv, wuv—I’m also your new loving teacher! Usami- _sensei_!”

What.

The **_fuck_**.

She curtsied, as if that made anything better.

“It’s wonderful to meet you all. Sensei will definitely do her bestest to lead you. It’ll be okay from now on. You never have to worry about anything again, including about Hope’s Peak.”

_Never have to worry...?_

“W-Wait, hold up,” Chestnut was scrambling to speak. “Just what...what are you saying? What do you _mean_ don’t worry about Hope’s Peak?”

_What, indeed?_

“Not to mention all the _other_ stuff—like gathering us here and the fact that you’re a stuffed animal that’s moving and _talking_ —!”

“It’s fine! It’s okay!” The stuffed animal exclaims with nothing short of pure, unadulterated cheer and eagerness. “Sensei will do her best! For the sake of wuv, wuv, I’ll make sure everyone’s bonds of love and friendship blossom _beautifully_! Now, it’s time to depart!”

With a wave of her wand, just like that—

The walls fell down. Each of the four walls, as if the classroom had been nothing more than a contained diorama. And now, all of them were on a beach. A tropical beach with vibrantly blue skies and gently rolling waves. There were seagulls overhead and palm trees in the vicinity.

And with another wave of her wand, the remains of the classroom were gone. _Poof_. Now, everyone was just standing there, dumbfounded and standing in the sand. A crab buried itself nearby.

“Welcome to Jabberwock, the location that will be a wonderful, exciting, lovey-dovey heart-throbbing island adventure! Your field trip of comradery and communal living!” Usami exclaimed joyfully. As if this were a joyous occasion. “Please enjoy your stay and please, please get along wonderfully with one another!”

_Thud_. There went Chestnut.

And, great, some of them were screaming. More ranting, more whining, more desperate chattering and ceaseless worthless questions that only increased on Usami disappeared.

Because of course she just disappeared. Just dumped seventeen high school kids on an island and fucked off to Wonderland. Wait. _What was this island’s name again?_

The headaches only got worse from there.

“Everyone, everyone, be _quiet_.”

Silence. Stalled and awkward. Matsuda felt his head spin as he tried to make sense out of all of it. And then, he just couldn’t.

_Even for a mass hallucination, that’s not how shit works. And if it were a dream, I would’ve woken up by now. I wouldn’t be so exhausted. Exhausted..._

He yawns. The prattling continues.

“What we should do for now is investigate and gather clues,” drones on. “Be on your best guard. It is very possible that stuffed animal is being operated by someone. Anyone could be involved—but it would be best to split up for now.”

“Oh. Shouldn’t we introduce ourselves, or...?”

_I’m really not in the goddamn mood. I’m really, really not in the mood._

Hell, Chestnut seemed to have the right idea, just passing out. With a sigh, Matsuda knelt down.

“Eh, Matsuda-kun...?”

He lied down, resting his head on his folded arms.

“M- _Matsuda-kun?!_ ”

Rather miraculously, just like the miracle of being teleported from a classroom to an island, Matsuda Yasuke was out like a light.

* * *

He has a weird dream that’s more flashes than images. Flashes of white, flashes of sickly, subtle green, flashes of red, vibrant red, black—something, some _thing_ —

Sharp. Acrid. Beyond fucking unpleasant. In his _mouth_.

“Urgh...!” He flinched awake, gagging a little and registering that the tide had advanced, washing past his hands and reaching his knees, his fingers digging into clumped sand as a result. Both of his coat sleeves were pretty soaked, and grains of sand and salt clung to the underside of his nails. Shit. _Shit_. “Fucking _hell_...!”

“Oh, you’re awake!” An exclamation rung out, soft and surprised. Matsuda recognized it as the cotton swab creep who called him by name earlier. And sure enough, there he was in all his cottony glory, smiling in relief with still a conked out Chestnut lying on the sidelines. Asshole was probably only going to get his socks wet from this debacle.

That made Matsuda bitter to think as he braced himself against a merciless sun. What made him more bitter was the pale, offered hand, courtesy of the cotton creep. He took it anyway to help himself up, and it was like grasping the cold, clammy hand of death.

If _only_ he could be so lucky.

_Hey, why am I awake again? I can just go back to sleep. I can just fucking do that._

And yet, he just looked around again.

_Wow. It sure still is an island. Oh look, there’s a security camera. And a monitor attached to that palm tree. Yeah. Okay._

“Um, are you alright, Matsuda-kun?” he’s asked it suddenly, and somehow, he didn’t immediately snap, even as he was being given a disgusting look of wide-eyed concern. “You still look rather pale and... Oh, those shadows...”

Such was how his face normally looked so Matsuda deigned to focus on more worthwhile things, like scraping sand off his skin, wringing water from his sleeves as he did. He almost scratched hard enough to draw blood.

_So, think, Yasuke. How we ended up here—the situation leading to this point... Blackouts, teleportation, things that wouldn’t be out of place in a fucking anime but typically don’t apply to main life. What the rabbit said earlier. Is this a social experiment? Was this set up by Hope’s Peak? But what would the reasoning be?_

_Wait._

**Wait.**

_“...the location that will be a wonderful, exciting, lovey-dovey heart-throbbing island adventure!”_

The _rabbit_ said that.

Lovey-dovey.

Heart- _throbbing_.

**_...breeding ground..._ **

“Oh. Matsuda-kun, you... That’s an interesting color...”

“ _Urgh_.”

“Oh _no_!”

* * *

After throwing up, Matsuda decided he would need to do further research before making any proper diagnoses of the situation. Just. For his own sake.

Cotton Joe was still hovering around him worriedly and rambling about at least getting someone, at least until Matsuda flicked him. Like a dog with its tail tucked between its legs, he retreated back to watching over Chestnut. Matsuda glared longer than probably necessary before checking his electronic student handbook.

_As expected of Hope’s Peak, this is state of the art stuff... But..._

Well, that wasn’t exactly a clue so he swiped through the screens. There was a memo of rules. All pretty standard stuff. No violence. Get along. Don’t be a shithead and litter. The teacher will only intervene in student affairs if any of the rules are broken. Standard stuff, as expected for a typical school trip.

_Although there’s not anything typical about this... I assume. I haven’t actually had a proper vacation that wasn’t just sleeping in, like, ever. Maybe stuffed animal robots are a new trend and I just didn’t notice. Would I notice that in-between the working and the dissociating?_

His head hurt. That wasn’t an answer. So he kept searching through the handbook.

_There’s profiles of everyone. Listing measurements, blood types, birthdays, even likes and dislikes... Okay that’s just fucking creepy. Is that why this kid knows my name?_

No. He had been referred to by name before they received these things, right?

“Tch.” He glances back, scowling once more. The other perks up and smiles without a care. Gross. It’s like one of those fake-ass retail smiles, only without the incessant and pushy rambling about products and services. Still not much better. “Oi. Are you a stalker?”

Those wide eyes blink at him rapidly, and the owner tilts his head.

“Ah... Is that the impression I give off? I assure you that’s—not the case. Um. I’m just...a regular fan...of your work. I swear.”

Matsuda gave him an unimpressed look.

“Right... Because nothing says celebrity figure like some fucking doctor.” _Seriously, unless you’re in the field, you wouldn’t know shit like that. Then again..._ “Ah. Knowing Hope’s Peak, they probably have my information posted on some public forum.”

“That’s correct!” the other exclaimed. “Every year, Hope’s Peak releases its roster for the upcoming batch. When I saw your name, Matsuda-kun, I really was delighted! The Ultimate Neurologist—in the same class as myself—just who would have thought?!” And then, a soft little giggle. “Although, aha, you really are as cool and cold as they say... But I understand this situation is...a bit much.”

“It’d be a fucking field day if you’re into shit like being abducted by aliens, I guess,” Matsuda retorted. “But unless they have neurological technological advancements here that I can make use of, count me very uninterested in the fuckoff island.”

“So serious and so diligent...!” the other gasps, awestruck. “To be within your presence...! Oh, I’m not even worthy!”

_...huh._

“Even if you’re not a stalker, you’re definitely a creepy fanatic, huh.”

“T-That really isn’t my intention! But, oh, I really should introduce myself. Ahaha, silly me, um...” He gave a wave. “Komaeda Nagito. Ultimate Luck. Well, um, that’s my title, anyway.”

Matsuda only stared.

“Aha, um. You see, Hope’s Peak ran this lottery, right? Um, basically it’s the only other way to attend aside from being scouted...” Komaeda played with his hair, clearly a little anxious. “Whoever wins is given the title Ultimate Luck. And I won, so here I am. Of course, luck isn’t _really_ a talent. But when I tried to tell them that, they wouldn’t take no for an answer. Something about needing to research it more thoroughly? Hope’s Peak really is an incredible place. Wonderful fit for someone like Matsuda-kun, but...not so much me.”

Komaeda laughs with the most pitiful smile, and Matsuda’s gaze sharply narrows.

_The more I look at this guy, the more pitiful he looks. And it’s pretty clear that he’s unwell, with that pallid complexion and spindly hair. I’ve seen livelier corpses. Christ, he could probably disintegrate from a mild breeze. Even if luck were a talent, this guy looks more battered by life than anything. That’s some distasteful fucking irony, huh._

“Every deck needs a wild card, I suppose,” Matsuda mutters, shrugging it off. “Maybe this really is a weird-ass social experiment, then.”

“An experiment...?”

“Yeah. Something like that... Set up by a real fucking eccentric.”

_With an appearance like that, he’s got to be sterile so I might’ve been wrong about my earlier assumption. Thank **fucking** god._

“Maybe they just want to see what happens, be it harmony or chaos,” Matsuda mused. “Likelier to be chaos, from what I can tell thus far. My bet is that at least four people are going to be dead before the week is over.”

“G-Goodness, so pessimistic!” Komaeda balked. “You really should have more _hope_ than that, Matsuda-kun!”

**_Ew_ ** _._

Just as he was about to get sick again, there was a low groan from the body Matsuda honestly forgot about.

_Ah, right. Him._

Chestnut stirred awake, and Komaeda was quick to check on him.

“Hey... Hey, can you hear me...? Are you okay? It’s understandable if you’re still out of it—considering all that’s happened...”

_All that’s happened. There’s still a lot about this that doesn’t make much sense. I’m not taking back what I said earlier—but there are supposedly stipulations in place to prevent any of that from happening. So what is the goal here? Are we really just expected to get along?_

That was just plain ridiculous on numerous levels. He’s not the type of guy who gets along with others.

_R̵̺͘i̶̥͙͆g̸͔͍͐͆h̸̨̑͊͜t̶̘́?̷̺̾_

His head throbbed again as he grimaced.

_Right... There’s no way in **hell**._

As he blankly watched Komaeda help up Chestnut, he couldn’t help but be sure of that.

_I’m not the kind of person who makes **friends**._

Chestnut notices his staring and flinches, and he relaxes only a little as Komaeda cheerfully reassures him.

“Matsuda-kun is a little rough, but he’s a wonderful person! He’s the Ultimate Neurologist, you know...”

“Ultimate... Neurologist...? W-Wait seriously? Isn’t he, like, _our_ age?”

Chestnut really does look so uncertain that Matsuda can’t help but scowl. Predictably, Chestnut freezes up at that, and this time, unsurprisingly, Komaeda’s reassurances do jack and shit.

_If that’s really the intent, then this whole thing is all just a huge fucking waste of time._


	2. The Hopeful Class of 77-B (?)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we get a look around the island and the people we're stuck with. But, oh, before I forget, let's get a proper look at our pricklier protagonist, shall we?
> 
> Yasuke Matsuda  
> Height: 182cm / Weight: 68kg / Chest: 87cm / Blood type: A  
> Birthday: September 18  
> Likes: Manga, Rice  
> Hates: Gore, People  
> Title: Ultimate Neurologist
> 
> ...he hates people, huh... That's a great sign...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The bulk of this 10K part is, as you can guess, introductions. Sorry about that. I tried to make it entertaining, at least, even if it's just "Matsuda gets along badly with people x 15". There are changes to the in-game dialogue (in part because the game actually gives so little to work with for certain characters) but nothing super different. I thought about splitting this up, but I actually didn't really want the prologue to have too many parts. Yeah.
> 
> Side-note: Throwing scalpels probably constitutes as violence. Usami definitely scolded him but I couldn't figure out where to fit that scene, lol. Considering the circumstances, Komaeda vouched for him so Matsuda just got a warning for now.
> 
> EDIT: CAN'T BELIEVE I ALMOST FORGOT!!! JFC ME. But if you want a ref for protag matsun then please, please, please check out [this awesome art](https://mahiyos.tumblr.com/post/182440768977/slight-matsuda-redesign-for-magioftheseas-protag) by gaynagitos on tumblr!!! It's really good and I love it sooooo much!!!

So, here were the kids that Matsuda Yasuke was stuck on the fuckoff island with.

First off—

“I’m... Hinata Hajime. My talent... Er... I don’t...actually remember... S-Sorry.”

He’s pretty sullen about this, so Matsuda kind of has to believe him even as the situation is a little hard _to_ believe.

_You would only forget something that specific due to trauma. Well. I guess this situation **is** pretty traumatic._

“You’re the fanatic, right?” he says, turning to Komaeda. “Then _you_ do the introductions for him.”

“Actually, I have no idea, either,” Komaeda replies, just as sorry about the whole thing as Hinata seems to be. “I don’t remember anything about a Hinata Hajime on the forums. I mean, there was a lot of information, so I could’ve just missed something, but...”

“...a ghost, then?” Matsuda asked, to which Hinata got more depressed. “Tell me your secret. I want to stand out that little, too.”

“I assure you that it wasn’t my intention... That much I _can_ remember...”

“Maybe that’s your talent, then?” Matsuda suggested, to which Hinata recoiled in distress.

“W-Who the _hell_ would want such a depressing talent...?!”

“Now, now,” Komaeda says quickly. “I’m sure you’ll remember your actual talent with time. You likely developed acute amnesia due to the stress and chaos of the situation. That’s possible, right, Matsuda-kun?”

“Not really. But considering you passed out earlier, maybe that’s a factor. Maybe your talent is so obscure that you only discovered it recently. Or something.” Matsuda shrugged. “I’ll be honest, I can’t tell anything about you because of just how plain unremarkable you are.”

“...and you’re supposed to be a doctor, huh,” Hinata mumbles, expression rather blank.

“A neurologist!” Komaeda exclaimed. “If anyone understands anything about the brain, it’s him!”

“Anyway,” Matsuda goes on, ignoring both of those remarks. “When it comes to amnesia or repressed memories, all you can really do is hope for a trigger. In the meantime, eat healthily and live happily or whatever. I’m not qualified to give psychotherapy or anything like that so that’s really the best I can offer. Although, if you insist, I suppose I can just open up your head and confirm if it really is brain damage.”

Hinata shuddered.

“I-I think I’m fine...!”

“Good, because I don’t have any equipment for that and it would’ve been a real shoddy fucking job.” Matsuda huffed. “Not to mention what I would do first is get scans rather than jumping straight to a biopsy. So I was obviously _joking_ , idiot.”

Hinata made a pained face.

“Don’t worry, Hinata-kun,” Komaeda said. “Just give it time. I’m sure you’ll remember soon.”

“Er...” Hinata hesitated but forced a smile anyway. “Right... Yeah... Let’s just focus on other things for now. Like about this weird island...”

“Right, right, we should investigate! The others have already gone on ahead!”

“...and him?”

Matsuda was playing with one of his scalpels idly, shooting Hinata a look that made him shrink in on himself.

“Oh, Matsuda-kun’s definitely coming, too!” Komaeda exclaimed. “You haven’t been around the island either, right? So I’ll guide both of you! I’ll do my very best!”

“T...Thanks.” Hinata was still hesitating.

“It’s not like it fucking matters,” Matsuda muttered.

With that, it was decided.

* * *

 “Souda Kazuichi, Ultimate Mechanic, and... Yeah, uh, those planes...aren’t going anywhere.”

“Are you sure?” Hinata asks worriedly.

“U-Uh...huh. Yeah, uh.” That garish beanie is pulled down further over even more garish pink hair. “If they were just broken that, um, t-that would be one thing... But they have no engines, see? No engines, no nothing. They...m-might as well...be props...”

“If Souda-kun says it, it must be true,” Komaeda supplies helpfully. “If there were a means of fixing them, the Ultimate Mechanic would know how, but...”

“But this just makes things creepier!” Hinata exclaimed. “Not only were we dragged here against our will, we’re also being confined here! No planes, no boats—doesn’t that strike you as bad?!”

Souda shuddered, but not because of the words.

“I-It’s not so bad,” he stammers, paling a bit, averting his eyes fearfully. “Being trapped, I mean, because like, the rules just state to get along and forbid violence...r...right...?”

“Can we really trust that?” Hinata asked, gritting his teeth. “That’s all coming from someone who basically _kidnapped_ us.”

“Hinata-kun, you’re so pessimistic,” Komaeda remarked. “Shouldn’t you have more hope than that? Hope is essential to the human condition, you know...”

_Gross._

“Y-Yeah so just...just...take it easy...and...um... _um_...” Finally, this was about all Souda could take. “W-Will _you_ quit glaring at me?! None of this is my fault!”

“This is just my normal face,” Matsuda said. “I _know_ none of this is your fault. You’re too...” He’s unmoved as Souda recoils from his scanning stare. “ _Yeah_.”

“W-What? _What_?! The hell are you trying to say exactly...?!”

“Souda-kun, it’s fine! Matsuda-kun is saying that he doesn’t doubt you!” Komaeda hurriedly exclaimed, getting between them as Hinata grimaced.

“Can he pick a friendlier way of saying it?!” Souda shouted right back. “How the _hell_ am I supposed to relax on vacation with someone like this?!”

_Urgh, noisy bitch._

“Well, I’m not wanted here.” For now, he could only shrug as he rubbed at his temple. “Fair because I don’t really want to be here either. Especially since...” Another pointed look at Souda. “ _Yeah_...”

“E-Ex _cuse_ me...?!”

“Let’s not fight!” Komaeda pleaded. “Come on, Matsuda-kun...!”

He was dragged off, Hinata following with even more uncertainty than before.

* * *

“Halt! Draw no closer if you value your life!”

“...I don’t.”

“Fool! You speak in nihilistic ignorance! But, such gives you courage in the face of harsh adversity. That, I must recognize. So _be_ it.”

“Oh! You managed to earn Tanaka-kun’s interest!” Komaeda chirped while Hinata looked to be at a complete loss. “Matsuda-kun, so impressive...!”

“Make no mistake!” Tanaka bellowed with a flourish as Matsuda stared on, eyes glazed over. “Ignorance is the truest of folly! Such bravado will ultimately be meaningless in the face of I—!”

“Tanaka,” Matsuda finished for him, unimpressed. “Of the Chuuni Kingdom. Because being fantastically swept away to an island by a stuffed rabbit just isn’t _special_ enough for you.”

_I thought I’d avoid this when I skipped most of middle school but of course shit can’t be that easy._

And of course, Tanaka’s eyes flashed dangerously.

“You dare _mock_ me?!” he roared. “In your witlessness, you _dare_ to invite death and destruction?!”

_Death... Destruction..._

**_D̵̡̩̱̫̟̺̲̄̓̈́̋͒̈͗͝e̷͙͇̺̺͆͝ŝ̸̡̨̮͔̲̙̭͖͆̓p̵͈͕̪̪̺̟̬͖̏̓̑̿̎̚ȃ̷͉̈̅̽̓̊͝͠͝i̷̘̘̜̝͑̕̚r̸̢̛̙̖̻͕̗̖͓̒͜_ **

For whatever reason, this gave him even more of a headache than he would’ve expected.

“...Urgh, _fuck_.”

“Aha! You see! Already you face ramifications for your hubris!” Tanaka laughed victoriously and a little manically. “You should be grateful that this is but a merciful display of power!”

“Oh my fucking god, I’ve been having headaches from before I even heard you speak so shut _up_. You’re not _special_.”

“Sharp-tongued one, you truly are the most foolish of ignorant fools...!”

“Ah, Matsuda-kun,” Komaeda flocked to his side worriedly. “Are you alright? You’re paling again.”

“Urgh...” _Why the hell does it hurt so much...?_ “Noisy...”

“Hmph! You are no match for the Ice Kingdom!” There are squeaks in agreement from the hamsters that are perched upon Tanaka’s crossed arms and shoulders. Mixed with the more of the maniacal laughter, it was definitely beyond fucking maddening. “We shall grant relief for now, but mark these words as they are the words of Overlord Gundam Tanaka and the Devas of Destruction—!”

“Yeah, my headache is still very fucking present so shove that relief up your ass,” Matsuda snapped. “I’m going somewhere useful. This airport is shit.”

He’s definitely hissed at, but after hissing right back, Matsuda stomped off, to Komaeda’s dismay and Hinata’s exasperation.

“A-Ah wait, Matsuda-kun...!”

“...g-geez, that guy...”

* * *

_Thank fucking god there actually is a fucking market._

The place was called Rocketpunch which sounded like something out of a manga, so Matsuda already liked it best out of everything he encountered with up until this point.

_If it actually sold manga, it’d be heaven but first. Pills. Pills, pills._

He’s quick to check the pharmaceutical aisles and finds what he’s looking for. He takes one bottle and then without missing a beat he starts stuffing them into his pockets. As many as he can carry. He’s definitely going to need it.

“Isn’t that overkill?”

Matsuda looks at the asshole who deigned to speak to him, quirking an eyebrow as he did.

“...and who the hell are you again?”

“Y-You know who I am!” Hinata stammered, flustered. “God, you really do have such a shitty attitude...!”

“Excellent observation. Full points.” Matsuda popped the pill bottle open, spilling a few into his hand. He immediately tosses them into his mouth, face twisting until he manages to swallow all of them down. He clears his throat, coughing a little. “Yeah... That’ll do for now.”

“It is a wonderful thing that this place is so stocked,” Komaeda says cheerily. Just in case Matsuda had somehow managed to forget about him, too. There he was, smiling and laughing without a care. “We don’t need to worry about food or supplies, at least for now.”

“The stuff could be poisoned,” Hinata pointed out. “Actually, do we even know if the _pills_ are safe...?”

“Give it at most a couple of hours, or at least twenty minutes,” Matsuda said, plucking up a bottle of water. “If I’m still standing, then they were fine. If not, well, while it wasn’t _nice_ knowing you, I _did_ know you. I guess.”

“...s-seriously?”

“I seriously guess...?” Matsuda twisted open the bottle, downing half of it without a second thought. “Pwah. God, I was so fucking thirsty. Seriously.”

“A-Are you even worried at all?!” Hinata demanded. “Doesn’t any of this _seriously_ bother you?! Just look—”

_Splash._

“Cool off a bit,” Matsuda snapped. “God, don’t you get tired of whining? Fucking _obviously_ this shit bothers me, you nutwit. But we can’t do shit about a situation we don’t understand at all. So, for now, we’re investigating.”

Hinata shivered a bit, seeming to have gone into shock, dripping water that was lukewarm at best.

“Ah, oh, dear.” Komaeda wiped a bit from Hinata’s cheek. “I, ah, I’ll go get a towel.”

With that, he hurried off. Hinata continued to stand there, fists clenching and unclenching.

“...I honestly kind of needed that,” Hinata finally muttered after a while. “But you’re still _such_ a fucking asshole.”

Matsuda just finishes his water without batting an eyelash. While Hinata was definitely pouting, Matsuda merely blinked up at the lights. Then, there was something _weird_ and a little unsettling in the air. Matsuda perked up as Hinata flinched.

_Ah. He feels it too._

Eyes lazily sliding over, he saw some girl staring at them. She was fiddling with her fingers anxiously, and Matsuda noted how she picked at her bandages. Just looking at her fidget made him feel weirdly itchy.

_Outside of that—she gives me a real fucking bad feeling, but..._

“U-Um...”

She was definitely trying to speak, but the miserable attempt could’ve been swallowed up by the low hum of the store itself.

“Y-You’re...a doctor...aren’t you...?”

Matsuda scoffed. “Did the well-worn lab coat give it away?”

_But... By her appearance... The apron and blouse..._

“Were you in your school’s healthcare committee?” he asked. “Lemme guess. That’s your talent.”

“H-Hue?! Oh, yes...!” She jerks, standing ramrod straight. “I-I... Um... Um...”

Since Komaeda still wasn’t there to explain and since Hinata was just plain useless, Matsuda had no choice but to fish out his student handbook to figure out the girl’s name.

“Tsumiki... Mikan. Yep. Ultimate Healthcare Committee.” He tosses his bottle and it hits the bin with ease. “Well, that’s not terrible.”

_Although with this kind of aura... Hhhh... Not great._

“So is she like...a nurse?” Hinata asks, because he’s just plain useless. Matsuda doesn’t deign it with an answer so it’s up to Tsumiki to try and pick up the slack.

“W-Well... Um... I... You see... I’m...” She trembles and then she sobs into her hands, utterly startling Hinata. “I-I’m so sorry!!”

_Oh man, we’re off to a fantastic fucking start._

“You sure have a way with words,” Matsuda noted, to which Hinata snapped back.

“I shouldn’t be hearing that from _you_!”

Tsumiki wails.

“W-Wait, no, please stop...!”

“Hinata-kun!” Oh, and there was Komaeda rushing up with a towel, looking utterly disappointed. “Did you make Tsumiki-san _cry_?!”

“N-No, I just...!”

“Uu... U-Uu...” Tsumiki’s shoulders were trembling. “I’m sorry... I’m sorry... I memorized at least five thousand conversation topics... But in the end my mind went blank! _Wah_...! Please don’t hate me...!”

_...this hurts my ears. But just telling her to shut up will make her worse... Urgh..._

“You really shouldn’t make girls cry, Hinata-kun,” Komaeda scolded Hinata. Hinata looked like he wanted to protest, but instead gave up on that.

 _Useless_.

“You shouldn’t make her cry in particular since on the very likely chance I have more important things to do, you’ll be in her care if you get injured,” Matsuda pointed out. “You could _die_ , in that case.”

“He’s absolutely right,” Komaeda said cheerily.

“I... O-Okay...” Useless as he was, Hinata still had no comeback, instead snatching the towel away from Komaeda to dry off his face and hair. “Just...don’t say that so merrily.”

Tsumiki did giggle at this, but before Matsuda could even blink, she was back to bawling for ‘laughing out of turn’ and apologizing profusely.

_This is definitely someone you have to be careful around. And how much energy does she have to spend on weeping?!_

A _lot_ , it would unfortunately turn out.

_God **fucking** —_

* * *

Ultimately, Matsuda just left those two to deal with the still sobbing Tsumiki because he ran out of patience. Even if he had been running on fumes to start with.

_There really is a lot of stuff here. Military goods such as night vision goggles... I guess if you wanted to do nighttime exploring...? Come to think of it, what kind of animals are on this island? What kind of plants? With the way this fucking day has been going, I bet they’re sentient._

He keeps browsing, checking out the various swim gear and then eyeing the giant soda bottles with thinly veiled interest.

_The folly and ultimate unfulfillment of gluttony... Will inevitably go flat before you can finish... But also I want it..._

There was also a vending machine that seemed to take a weird currency. He was tempted to kick it, but with his sandals, that would be a bad idea. He wasn’t keen on having a throbbing foot after taking care of his weirdass headaches.

And someone was humming. When he checked the aisle, he could see that she was bouncing from one foot to the next in a very purposeful rhythm.

“Looking over here! Looking over there! What’s that I hear, what’s that I see—?!” Spinning on her heel, she gave Matsuda the biggest grin. “Yooo! It’s Mister Seventeen!”

“...pardon?”

“The seventeenth person! When there had been only sixteen seats! So mysterious! Uber mysterious!” She skipped up to him, pointing and prodding with wide, curious eyes. “Hey, hey, you just went off to Dreamland instead of introducing yourself! You’re not still asleep, riiiiight?”

Matsuda simply stares until she shudders.

“Brrrr! So cold it burns! _Yow_!” She rubs furiously at her arms. “So much negative energy! That’s a little _scary_! Kyaaaa! _Brrrrr_!”

When Matsuda turns away however, she squawks with protest.

“Wait! I demand a repeat! It’s not over yet, Seventeen!”

_Urgh._

“...Matsuda Yasuke. Nice to meet you.”

“Yasuke-chan! Hi!” she chirped. “Mi to the o to the da to the I to the bu to the ki! From Mioda _Ibuki_! That’s me! Mioda Ibuki! Nice to meet’cha!”

“...”

“Brrrrr!” Mioda shuddered again. “This silence is so heavy it’s suffocating! Yasuke-chan, why are you so sullen when you’re in the most super of supermarkets anyway?! It’s like a rocket _PUNCH_ to the gut!”

“Don’t punish me,” was his dry response.

“So, so, so downbeat it’s depressing!” Mioda exclaimed. “And from here, I can hear Mikan-chan’s sniveling! Nagito-chan and that other guy are having some trouble! That’s so sad! Ibuki, you gotta play something! You’re right, Ibuki!”

“...” Matsuda’s head tilted at that. “You can hear them?”

“Oho! Is that interest finally being heard when you heard my statement?!” Grinning, Mioda held her chin and pointy nose up high. “Yeppers, that’s right! As expected of a musician! Ultimate Musician! Gifted in the same ways as Schubert, Bach, and Beethoven!”

“Beethoven tragically lost his hearing,” Matsuda pointed out.

“Gifted in the same ways as Edison, Van Gogh, Pele, and Senna!”

“...right.”

Mioda winked at him, looking at him with expectant, sparkling eyes.

“...”

“...”

Another wink. And another. Sparkle, sparkle.

“...”

“...”

“...you’re really just going to leave me hanging, huh?” she asks. “You don’t even have a saucy remark, Yasuke-chan? Not any quips at all?”

Matsuda shrugged.

“I really don’t want to encourage you,” he replied, rubbing at his nape. “Especially when I’m just really, really tired from the last two people I had to put up with.”

“Oke-doke!” With a clap, she skipped off. “Then, I’ll bounce!”

And bounce she did with a sudden, startling noise that made both Tsumiki and Hinata shriek loud enough for the store to tremble a bit.

Matsuda snatched up a bag of chips on his escape out.

* * *

There were several cottages. Eight on one side—and then nine on the other, with one cottage awkwardly tacked in-between the last two on the end. Whoever landscaped did a pretty admirable job of keeping it symmetrical with the two rows of cottages but fact of the matter was that it still stuck out like a sore thumb. Unsurprisingly, a picture of his face was plastered on the thing’s mailbox.

_...this whole thing really does feel awfully calculated. To the point where there’s even an extra house disrupting the flow and harmony to make up for the uneven number of students._

Matsuda’s lashes lowered in thought and he checked the cottage. It seemed no different than any lodging that’d be used for a tropical hotel. Quaint in every sense of the word with a seriously _eerie_ undercurrent.

_This whole place is set up for several people staying here for a prolonged period of time. But if I didn’t know any better, I’d call it any ol’ resort. Thing is, you typically don’t use a resort as your base for mass-kidnapping. Then again, if you’re rich enough, I suppose..._

Matsuda paused for a moment.

_Hope’s Peak Academy...does it really have that much money? Enough to plan and manage all this? There’s not even any staff from what I’ve seen. It’s isolated and uninhabited. Save for us. Save for whoever the hell is controlling that stuffed rabbit thing._

He thought it over, but shook his head for now.

_Best to continue going along with it. Keep moving forward._

And so he does until he arrives back at the hotel clearly acting as the main building. He had to keep moving forward, and the hotel seemed to both recognize and mock that necessity.

“Hotel ‘Mirai’...because of course.”

“It’s like we really get to stay in the future after all!” came the responding chirp.

Matsuda turned to give Komaeda a sour look. Hinata, too, was giving Komaeda a sour look although he was quick to glare at Matsuda as well out of what had to be boundless generosity.

“Ehe... Hehe...” Komaeda scratched his cheek, rather sheepish. “Guess that joke fell flat. Can’t blame a guy for trying...”

“You two took your sweet time,” Matsuda grumbled. “But _you’re_ dried off at least.”

“No thanks to _you_ ,” Hinata griped right back. “And my shirt’s still a little damp.”

“Oh no, how will you survive,” he droned. “That’s just so sad.”

“You’re _such_ a dick...”

“But we’re all together again! I almost thought Matsuda-kun ditched us for real!” Komaeda exclaimed before giggling. “But looks like we caught up to you, aha. That’s good. I was worried you’d get lost.”

“...it’s not like I waited for you because I get lost easily or anything,” Matsuda muttered lowly. “That’s not it at all.” With a ‘tch’, he went on his way with the two flanking him. “Anyway. Let’s keep looking around. Hurry up. So slow. God.”

“ _God_ ,” Hinata echoed while Komaeda hummed.

* * *

Of course they had an outside pool, too, fashioned with several beach chairs, parasols, and looking very well-maintained. It looked like a good place to read, at least, but right now Matsuda was more curious if he could get away with drowning.

Unfortunately his curiosities were dashed because of the burly guy currently staring down at him.

“And who are YOU supposed to be?! And how are you FEELING?!” He’s _booming_ , in such a way that Hinata is clearly intimidated by it. Matsuda picks at his ear, scowling, and the big guy goes on. “You both passed out earlier—and have yet to introduce yourselves!”

“ _He_ passed out,” Matsuda replied with a point of his thumb, making Hinata flinch. “I just took a nap since the situation was so irritating that it was tiring. And I thought it would do something about the migraines. With the help of everyone here, it didn’t. I hope everyone is happy with themselves.”

Now Komaeda was the one to flinch.

“Aha... Matsuda-kun, so harsh...”

“Is that SO?!” was the roaring response of the other guy. “Have you been HYDRATING?!”

“Just did...” _Although I’m still contemplating trying to drown in that pool._ “So, you’re...?”

“The legendary Ultimate Coach.” Large knuckles are cracked, and then, he shouts. “NIDAI NEKOMARU!!!”

“Well someone’s an overachiever in the roll call.” Matsuda rolled his eyes. “Matsuda Yasuke.”

“Hinata... Hajime...” Hinata manages courageously. “Nice...to meet you.”

“SPEAK UP!” Nidai screamed, making Hinata yelp. “SHOUT FROM THE HEART!”

“H-Hinata Hajime!”

“Matsuda Yasuke.”

“GYAAAAH! YOU’RE NOT EVEN TRYING, MATSUDA YASUKEEEEEE!!! YOU _BOTH_ CAN DO SO MUCH BETTER!! YOU HAVE TO GIVE IT ALL YOU GOT! WITH EVERYTHING YOU HAVE!”

“Hinata Hajime!” Hinata exclaimed, voice cracking courageously. “Nice to meet you!”

“AAAAAAAAAAND?!”

“Matsuda Yasuke.” Somehow Matsuda’s tone was even flatter and more unenthused than before. “Ultimate Neurologist. Done with everything.”

Nidai growled.

“Given that coat, you’re supposed to be a DOCTOR, right?! Don’t lives DEPEND on you?!”

Matsuda blinked, and then his eyes narrowed dangerously.

“Which is why I should only conserve my energy for the things that _matter_ in this world, right?” he asks sharply. “Which is _why_ I’m not going to bother expending more effort than necessary in mere platitudes and to indulge some oversized _oaf_ who can’t even exercise volume control. You get me?”

“...hmph.” Nidai’s stern features twitched, and then he laughed brightly. “DULY NOTED! What a DIFFICULT person you are, GAHAHA!! But with that kind of attitude, you’re going to make kids cry!”

“Do _you_ really have the ground to say that...?”

Nidai laughed even louder.

“HAHAHAHA! GOOD POINT!!!”

_So he **is** aware of how he looks... Wish he could voice that awareness more quietly though._

Hinata still seemed a little dizzy and disoriented, even with Komaeda trying to steady him. Nidai just kept on laughing without a care.

Matsuda could only sigh and tug Hinata along to give the useless idiot time to recover.

* * *

In direct contrast to Nidai, this next guy was—everything that he wasn’t.

“Hey. Dipshit. Do you not know who I _am_?”

“Wow, someone’s fucking cranky.”

“The fuck did you just say?!” _Oh wow. Now the infant looks pissed._ “Do you have a _fucking_ problem?!”

“C-Calm down!” Komaeda hurriedly said, waving his hand and pulling Matsuda back. “We’re just, aha, doing introductions, Kuzuryuu-kun!”

“Yeah, so fucking chill with your macho posturing,” Matsuda said. “That tough guy act _really_ doesn’t—”

Komaeda covered his mouth with a smile.

“Both Matsuda-kun and Hinata-kun didn’t get to do introductions so can you please indulge us for a bit? Aha, sorry for the trouble...”

Between Matsuda just standing there with a hand over his mouth, Hinata instinctively inching closer to Komaeda, and Komaeda’s own pitiful, pleading smile... Well it was obvious in the way that Kuzuryuu scoffed that he was just going to go along with it.

“Feh. Fine. Kuzuryuu Fuyuhiko. But make no mistake—I have no interest in making friends.”

Matsuda pulled down Komaeda’s hand by the wrist.

“Matsuda Yasuke. Same.”

_Ah, Komaeda’s so bony..._

“W-Wait, Kuzuryuu...?” Hinata whispered. “As in... _That_ Kuzuryuu?”

_Oh riiiight. Kuzuryuu is the name of a yakuza group isn’t it? Well, that explains the attitude. With a family like that, you have to act like a tiger even with the face of a kitten. But if I mention that, I’ll probably lose fingers. I need those. Shit._

“I heard that ‘babyface’ is taboo around him,” Komaeda adds ever helpfully. “So be careful. You can never have too many fingers.”

**_Sure enough._ **

“O-Oh...” Hinata nodded in wide-eyed understanding. “Komaeda, you’re a lifesaver...”

“Oh, I wouldn’t go _that_ far, ehe.”

Matsuda pulls away, glancing at Kuzuryuu. Kuzuryuu sneers right back.

“If you’re done then get fucking lost, dumbasses.”

_I think I just heard his voice squeak._

Still, Matsuda waved his hands.

“...yeah. We should probably go.”

_He’s trying so hard. We might as well pretend to respect that. It’s not like I’m terribly interested in making friends, either._

Well, _whatever_ , he supposed.

_Hopefully the next person is a bit easier to deal with._

* * *

“Hey! You two are the guys who passed out earlier!”

“I didn’t pass out, I just went to sleep.”

“That’s even worse!” Whoever this bitch was, she was fuming and waving her finger at them. “In times like this, it’s up to the men to protect the women! So you shouldn’t be so fragile—and you definitely shouldn’t be so _lazy_!”

“I...suppose?” Hinata seemed to be at a loss, but Matsuda got even more irritated.

“I don’t fucking think so.”

“Ooh, you’re one of _those_ guys, huh?” she practically spits the word in disdain. “That’s just great. Not only are you useless, you might just keep us from leaving the island. You do _know_ that, right?”

“Eh? How?” Hinata asked.

“In order to leave, we have to gather these things called hope fragments from everyone by becoming friends or whatever, and the field trip will end,” camera bitch explains, sighing.

“Wait, really?! So we _can_ leave?!”

“That’s what I just said!” she exclaimed. “Geez, listen to other people when they’re talking! Otherwise, you’ll miss important details like _that_!”

“S-Sorry...” Hinata seemed to calm a little, until his face got all twisted up again. “But... Even if I have no idea what the hell Usami’s intentions are supposed to be, if that _is_ the case... It might not even matter because Matsuda’s... _Well_...”

Both him and the camera bitch were giving him a withering, frustrated look.

_Ah. I fucking see how it is._

“If that _is_ the case, this is an unbelievably shitty way of doing it,” Matsuda pointed out. “Making friends is all fine and fucking dandy but to be forced into doing so is going to result in some dysfunctional relationships down the line, don’t you think?”

The other two were silent and contemplative for this, thankfully.

“But we don’t really have a choice if we want to get off this island,” Komaeda replied instead. “Out of all the other things we could be forced into doing, this isn’t _so_ bad.” A carefree smile. “It’s nothing to panic over for now, at least.”

_Pweh._

“I guess that’s true,” Matsuda muttered, crossing his arms. “Alright. Whatever. I guess it’s just like an obnoxiously large group project.”

_Never mind that I’ve always done those solo when I could get away with it._

“Matsuda Yasuke. Ultimate Neurologist. Nice to meet you.... Miss.”

“You could afford to be a little less dry,” she sighed. “But whatever. I know unreasonable people when I see them.”

“Yeah, studies showed that species are good at recognizing their own.”

She glared at him.

“...Koizumi Mahiru. Ultimate Photographer.” She crossed her arms. “Not that it’s much of a talent compared to something like neurologist... Although, _seriously_? Neurologist? You’re like, _our_ age and you have... _that_ attitude...”

“Any other _keen_ observations, Miss Photographer?” Matsuda asked.

“You look ratty!” Koizumi huffed, hands on her hips now. “And you’re so unkempt! Aren’t doctors supposed to be neat and tidy?! Do you even take your own profession seriously?!”

“...oh, wow, you’re really going out of your way to be a bitch, huh. Maybe our situation _is_ more dire than we thought.” Matsuda bristled. “Sorry. Between the kidnapping, running around, and _unreasonable people_ , I haven’t had time to do laundry.”

“Make time, then,” Koizumi groused, before snapping at the other two. “Anyway! Komaeda and... Hey! You still haven’t introduced yourself, _guy_.”

“A-Ack, sorry. Um...” Flushing a little, Hinata gives a polite nod. “Hinata Hajime. Er, nice to meet you.”

“Hinata,” Koizumi amended. “You and Komaeda are going to have to work extra hard to make up for Matsuda here. It’s going to be rough on you in particular, Hinata, because you’ve already proven yourself to be pretty unreliable. But I expect you to do better! Be more of a man! That goes for all of you!” Her eyes flicker back to him and narrow. “Even though _you’re_ not going to listen at all, huh, Matsuda?”

“Can’t be bothered to listen in regards to something I don’t give a shit about,” Matsuda retorted. “So, hey, let’s compromise. Lower your shitty, unreasonable expectations. Try and keep your dopamine levels high and strong. Disappointment not only gets in the way of that, it’s also bad for your heart and immune system in prolonged excess. You’d be doing yourself a favor.”

Koizumi sighs, much more heavily and exaggeratedly than before.

“God, this is going to be rough.”

“That’s something we can agree on.”

“Can’t you be a _little_ less dry?!” Koizumi snapped. “You could at least try to smile or something!”

Matsuda blinked. And then, he tried. Koizumi faltered in the face of it.

“Oh, _wow_ , that looks _painful_. Never mind. Your scowl’s much more reassuring.”

“Glad we have that out of the way,” Matsuda said, unimpressed and scowling as before.

Komaeda giggled. “It’s good to come to an understanding, isn’t it?”

“If you can really call that _good_ ,” Hinata said, grimacing.

* * *

There was an old lodge nearby that looked pretty suspicious. And then even more suspiciously, there was a note taped to it with a locked door.

_“Access Forbidden due to Scheduled Reconstruction!! **Too** **Dangerous**! Please go about your day differently! Love, love!”_

The clumsily scribbled hearts across the bottom definitely inspired a level of seriousness to it.

“I bet I could break this door.”

“Let’s not,” Komaeda said with a laugh. “That’s likely against the rules, Matsuda-kun.”

“Pff. Whatever.”

“Why was breaking in your first instinct anyway?” Hinata asked.

“It wasn’t yours? God, how boring _are_ you?”

“S-Shut up!”

They decided to just go into the hotel instead.

* * *

The interior was predictably large and on the classier side. Definitely an expensive-looking place, except creepier because there still wasn’t a staff in sight.

_All these things carefully managed...and no signs of those who manage it. Technology, maybe? Like robots or something. Or..._

A sudden agonizing flash. Not as bad as before, but... Matsuda still cringed, rubbing his head.

_Urgh. It’s back. Shit._

He pops in another pill, swallowing it dry.

_Gross._

“Matsuda-kun, are you alright?” Komaeda asked, eyes wide with innocent concern.

**_Groooooooss._ **

“I’ve certainly been better,” he muttered darkly. “But I’ve also been a lot worse so whatever.”

“I guess the hotel’s alright,” Hinata said almost stiffly, scratching his jaw. “If the situation were normal, this wouldn’t be so...bad, I guess.”

“You guess,” Matsuda echoed, letting his eyes sweep the area.

There are some cheap-ass arcade game tables that Komaeda was apparently impressed by. Him and some other chick that seemed fixated on the damn things. Whatever. There was some other girl who at least looked unoccupied, although she seemed a little rigid, arms tightly crossed and sharp red eyes staring straight ahead to one of the windows.

_Sharp... **red**...?_

**_Y̴̦̮̻͓̐͑̚o̴̡̮̪͚͇͇͖͛̏͒̿̓̈͘ͅù̵̲̰̣̮͚̭̣̍ ̴͎̹͗͂͂ẗ̸̬̜̖̃͌͝ĥ̷͓̞̒̾̋̽͗̒̂ì̵̠̦̰͍͗̇ń̴͕̱̼̰͉͔̀͝͠ḳ̸̫̬̹̙̰̃ ̶̛̮̏t̷̜̩̤͔͕̰̱̂o̸̢͖̖̜̹͕͉̐̈́́̎̒͝͝o̷̪̻̬̿̎̅̊̽̉̋͝ ̷̟̼̲̗͚͆̉̇̏͗̕͜͝m̶̛̩͎̟̳̱̩̈́̀͝ư̷͙̔̓͛͘c̸̡̫̘̲͂̈́̂̅̽̽̔͝h̶̪̰̱̍̿͂͂̆̍͘͝. ̵̧̬̣̙̝̻̤̪̉_ **

Another painful flashing throb. The medicine couldn’t kick in sooner.

_What the hell ever. She looks more open to conversation than the other one._

Not that he wanted to talk to either but he _did_ want off this fucking island, and Komaeda _would_ shove him in someone’s direction anyway, _and_... He doesn’t trust Komaeda to do so with a level of tact.

And Hinata—yeah, Hinata is still useless.

“Yoooo.”

She perks up, and her gaze sharpens. Thanks to the glasses, there was more of a glare.

“...can I help you?”

_Yeah that’s the tone I was expecting._

“Matsuda Yasuke. Ultimate Neurologist.” He waved coolly. “That’s Hinata Hajime. Ultimate—Some Fucking Guy.”

“That’s not actually my talent,” Hinata griped. “I don’t...actually remember it.”

“So it _could_ be Ultimate Some Fucking Guy; we’re just not sure.”

“...shut up.” Hinata quickly straightened up, realizing. “Oh, but, uh... Nice to meet you.”

“Hm.” She still doesn’t seem terribly impressed or even mildly amused. “Introductions, then? Very well. I am called Pekoyama Peko. Ultimate Swordswoman. It is an honor to meet you, too.”

_Called...?_

Something about this chick really set him off and he really, aggravatingly, had no fucking idea why. For fuck’s sake, like, out of everyone he met thus far, she was easily the least offensive.

_Still something about her is just—_

**_S̶̢̒̒̚t̷̝̪̦͎̒ȍ̶̭̳͔̲̯̔̂̅p̵̬̿̿͐͆̌ ̴̨͎̦̬̐͑̊͐t̵̰̏̓̄̇͋h̶̖͙͇̳͔͐̔̾̒̎̄̚i̸̖̳̓̀̍̈͘n̵̢̥̗̘̦̊͌͜k̶̢̘̞̼̼̜̏̉̈̏̍͋̌̄i̵̙̼̱̠̿̅̓ǹ̴̨̼͙̣͖͂̎̂̃̏ǵ̶̡̛͗̇̊̚.̶͖̬̬͑̏̍̿͆̑_ **

_Well, whatever. It doesn’t really matter._

Matsuda shook his head.

“Pekoyama, huh?” _It really doesn’t matter._ “That sure is...a name.”

_It could be a code name but it doesn’t fucking matter._

“Mm...” Pekoyama’s expression was ever unchanging. “According to that bunny, we will be spending quite some time together from now on. Mutual understanding is essential, then, so that there is no ill will between us.”

“Ah. Wow.” Matsuda blinked a few times. “Someone reasonable...”

“I do not want to cut anyone,” she added. “My sword is wooden, but it _can_ cause quite a bit of harm if used to strike in the right place.”

“...”

_Yeah. By all accounts I should like her best._

But with that really _ugly_ vibe he got, he...wasn’t really feeling it.

_Fucking hell... Whatever. **Whatever**._

* * *

The other chick was still fixated on her game. In fact, Matsuda’s damn sure she had finished and just immediately started another one.

“Hey, Nana—”

“Alright, “Matsuda said, cutting Komaeda off. “Let’s just go.”

“Eh? You’re not even going to try to talk to her, Matsuda-kun?”

“Hinata can, if he wants,” Matsuda replies, shrugging. “But I’ve zero interest in talking to someone who’s _clearly_ busy. That’s just fucking rude.”

“Oh... I suppose...” Komaeda trails off. “But, if it’s Nanami-san, she’s not going to stop playing.”

_An otaku? Yeah because **those** make great fucking friends._

“That’s her problem and I’d rather not get involved. I’m going, but...” He turns to Hinata. “Hey, if you want to be the asshole who tries to talk to someone already engaged, then by all means.”

“Gh...!” Hinata bristled. “I-I’m _not_ going to do that. Geez.”

“If you say so,” Komaeda sighs forlornly. “I guess I can’t convince you...”

“Y-You don’t have to sound so disappointed, Komaeda...”

“She’s probably a shit conversationalist anyway,” Matsuda says. “Most people glued to video game screens don’t really talk to randos.”

“...uhhhhn.”

Matsuda perks up. Blinks a few times.

“That’s not...wrong... I guess.”

_She’s...talking?_

She was still clearly focused on her game, but—yeah, no, her lips were moving and words were coming out.

“I have to try and mentally plan out everything I want to say, otherwise I’m not very good at it. Especially...if it’s with people I don’t really know. But I’ll try to...” She yawns loudly. “Mmmrgh. Tired.”

_Is she for fucking real right now?_

“Anyway,” she goes on drearily. “Nanami Chiaki. Um. I love...games. All kinds of games.”

_This isn’t a real person. I refuse to believe it. She’s still not looking away from that shitty tabletop._

“...Nice to meet you.”

_The fact that she’s allowed to do this when I don’t have any manga on me to do the same seriously pisses me off. That’s just not fair._

“Impressive, Nanami-san!” Komaeda exclaimed, back in high spirits. “All said while still dutifully playing the game!”

“...I guess that’s impressive?” Hinata shakes his head. “But, uh, yeah, nice to meet you too, Nanami. I’m Hinata Hajime, and this guy...”

Matsuda was still silently fuming. When Hinata elbowed him, Matsuda smacked him right back. His cheek was left stinging.

“...Matsuda Yasuke,” Hinata grumbles, wincing as he rubs his smarting cheek. “He’s, I guess what you would call, difficult level. Like, insane difficulty.”

“Insane difficulty,” Nanami mused. “Yeah... Okay.” Another yawn. She rubs at her eye. “It’s still nice...to meet him.”

Matsuda huffed.

“...yeah. Okay.”

Without another word, he turned on his heel and stomped up the stairs.

“Oi, Matsuda...”

“Be careful, Matsuda-kun! You don’t want to fall!”

It’s only when their backs are fully turned that Nanami’s gaze flickers in their direction.

“...Matsuda...kun.”

Her cheeks puff.

* * *

“You know, Komaeda,” Hinata finds himself saying. “Is it really _alright_ to be around that Matsuda guy?”

“What do you mean?” Komaeda asks ever innocently. “Matsuda-kun may be rough around the edges, but he’s not dangerous. Just...” His smiles widens. “He’s just difficult!”

“At least you’re aware of that,” Hinata mutters, rolling his eyes. “But even considering the ridiculous situation, Matsuda’s _beyond_ unfriendly. Doesn’t that bother you?”

“He’s not so bad,” Komaeda says. “And he’s clearly stressed. I would feel awful if I just left him alone. It’s the same with you, Hinata-kun.”

“Me and Matsuda aren’t anything alike!” Hinata hurriedly argued back, flustered. “Not in terms of personality!”

“Hmm... I wonder...” Komaeda gave him a knowing smile. “You both are rather tsun, don’t you think?”

“T-Tsun...?! What the hell...?”

Komaeda just laughs.

(“That’s why...you have to...”)

“I’m joking, I’m joking. Hinata-kun’s much more reserved, but... I do think it’s a good thing that Matsuda-kun incites you so much. With how you passed out, I was worried that you’d clam up or at least shrink back. But, you do have a lot of energy!”

(“...I see...”)

“That’s...not necessarily a good thing...” And yet, Hinata’s cheeks burned anyway. “I still don’t really like being around him... But I don’t think I like leaving him to his own devices anyway...who knows what trouble he could get in—”

**_Thwack._ **

Before he could even finish that thought.

* * *

Hinata and Komaeda immediately scrambled up the rest of the stairs.

“M-Matsuda, what the fuck did you _do_?!”

“Yoooo.”

Matsuda gave them a lazy wave, pulling out a scalpel from where it was embedded in the wall. Close by, one person, a small chubby fellow dressed appropriately, was trembling like a leaf, likely from shock, but...the other...

“I have not seen such superb blade throwing since my departure!” Her eyes were sparkling, hands clasped. “Oh, how wonderous it is to be welcomed by the same celebration that I was wished off with!!”

“I-Impressive...indeed...” The other was stuttering, touching his face. “But, um, you sliced my cheek a little on accident... It’s bleeding...”

“Oh, _whoops_ ,” Matsuda said, dispassionately as ever. “I’m not sorry, though.”

“U-Um...”

“How thrilling!” she squealed. “And so exciting! Oh.” She gasped. “But where are my manners? Good day to your three.”

“G-Good day, uh, Hinata Hajime, and...” Hinata quickly drags Matsuda back, gritting his teeth. “Sorry about him.”

“Don’t be,” she said. “It was a wondrous display.”

“...yes, quite...” The other rubbed his chin. “Ehe... _Horrousing_ , you could say...”

“Horrousing?”

“Anyway,” he went on. “Hanamura Teruteru. My title is Ultimate Cook, but—Ultimate Chef is much more fitting, yeah? Much more _sophisticated_.” He winks. “Matsuda-kun, was it? While being interrupted is a bit of a shame, I do still appreciate some thrill. Just, um, _some_ , that said. Still...a pleasure.”

Matsuda’s face scrunched up in clear distaste.

“... _next_.”

The young woman immediately perked, clapping her hands.

“Oh, goodness! I apologize for my tardiness!” She gives a friendly smile. “I am Sonia Nevermind from Novoselic. I am here in Japan as an exchange student, and... It truly is a wonderful pleasure to meet your esteemed acquaintance! May our friendship face a prosperous road!”

Hinata was a little dazzled, and Matsuda, still twirling around his scalpel, looked towards Komaeda expectantly.

“She’s the Ultimate Princess,” he explained cheerily. “Actual royalty. Quite dazzling, don’t you think?”

Matsuda blinked once. Twice.

“...isn’t this going to turn into an international crisis, then...?”

“Oh, goodness!” Sonia exclaimed, aghast at the thought. “I would hope not! I do not feel threatened at all!” She frowns, morose. “If it is not too impudent to admit, I am joyful to be here.”

“You _are_?” Both Hinata and Matsuda voiced that, but Hinata was the only one to get flustered about it.

“You see, in my own country, I had not one friend that was either my equal or my own age,” Sonia sighed. “And so, to participate in this bonding activity with everyone else as part of a group... It is most novel! Thus!!” With royal force, she decreed. “I applaud this situation! I applaud all of you!”

“O-Oh, um...” Hinata’s knees shook a little with the clear urge to kneel. “T-Thank you.”

Matsuda, meanwhile, had no idea how he was supposed to feel about any of this.

_Is she just naïve...or a total freak? Well, whatever keeps us out of **war** , I guess._

He shoves Hinata off.

“Don’t start fucking drooling on me. _Creep_.”

“O-Oi...!”

“My, my, you really are snappish,” Hanamura remarked. “So sharp-tongued it cuts to the _bone_.”

“...hey, Komaeda, do you think that gaudy shark freak has an ice pick tool?”

“Oh, Souda-kun, you mean? He should,” Komaeda hummed. “Why do you ask?”

“I might need it.”

Hanamura jumped at that.

“G-Goodness...!”

“Oh, by the way, Hanamura-kun,” Komaeda went on without a care. “I’m not surprised you went here, first. How would you say the restaurant is? Does it meet the expectations of the esteemed Ultimate Chef?”

“Ha? Oh, yes, yes, it does...” Hanamura nods along, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “If I am to be honest, it very much does. While I prefer the urban feel of my home, this rural atmosphere is also quite _très magnifique_! It very much suits my very refined tastes!”

_Liar._

“You really do make such sour faces, Matsuda-kun! It’s a shame!” Hanamura exclaimed. “I can share something juicy with you if you want. Pekoyama-san would likely be to your tastes, I think...”

The glare Matsuda gave was one vacant of light and mercy.

“ **Disgusting**.”

“O-Oh, dear...”

“Hanamura-kun,” Komaeda said, ever so cheerfully. “Please do refrain from such things in the future. You are still _bleeding_ , after all.”

“Oh, goodness, that’s true! I better go wash up, then!”

With that, Hanamura scurried off.

“Whatever was that about?” Sonia asked curiously.

“Don’t worry about it,” Matsuda replied as Komaeda waved his hand.

 “...that felt dangerous,” Hinata muttered. “In more ways than one.”

“Be on your guard, Hinata,” Matsuda said darkly. “For not just your sake but for the sake of at least two countries.”

“R... Right...”

* * *

He really needed a pick-me-up after that shit, and thankfully, he did in fact find something.

_This is helping. I don’t know how, but it’s helping. And I need all the fucking help I can get especially after all that shit._

“So do you like...animals, Matsuda-kun?”

“They’re better than people, that’s for damn sure.”

Right now, the chicken was pretty settled into his lap, docile as Matsuda petted its fluffy feathers.

“It’s a shame that you didn’t tell Tanaka-kun that,” Komaeda hummed. “Your introduction likely could have gone better.”

“...Yeah, I doubt that.”

_Cluck, cluck._

“Uh...” Hinata seemed weirded out, likely from witnessing what was probably the best mood Matsuda had in months. Maybe even years. “So, like...this sure is...a farm. I’m glad you’re happy though.”

“Isn’t that such a _wonderful_ thing?!”

The chicken fled from the sudden appearance of Usami, and Matsuda saw his calm shatter to pieces with the feathers fluttering to the floor. He could only stare.

“Oh, no!” Usami shrieked. “That wasn’t supposed to happen! I made a horrible mistake!”

“Your _existence_ is a horrible mistake,” Matsuda said lowly, to which she sobbed.

“Uuu... Uu... I’m so sorry, Matsuda-kun...” Usami quickly waved around that stupid stick of hers. “D-Don’t worry! Sensei will fix this!”

“Please _don’t_.”

She flinches at that, still whining.

“Uuu... Uuu...”

“What the hell were you expecting to happen by showing up out of nowhere like that?” Hinata asked, aggravated. “Where did you even _come_ from?”

“Oh, oh! That’s a special ability! With the help of my Magical Stick, sensei can appear anywhere and everywhere to check on any and all of her most precious students!” She waved it around happily. “Right now, sensei shall use her magic to improve Matsuda-kun’s mood!”

“Keep that shitty wand away from me,” Matsuda snapped, making her flinch again.

“U-Uuu... But... Um... Wouldn’t a bit of magic be good to see...? Make you happy?”

“...urgh.” _Seriously what the hell is that face she’s making?_ “What kind of magic?”

“I’m glad you asked!” She bounced back so easily that it was infuriating. “Behold! As you look around you, there are all kinds of chickens...”

“Also a colorful bird that I’m pretty damn sure isn’t native to here,” Matsuda added, rolling his eyes. Hinata, noticing the bird in question, eyed it suspiciously.

“But no _cows_!” Usami exclaimed, undeterred. “That won’t do for a farm! So let’s fix that with magic, shall we?”

She twirled around, waving her stick, and then, just like that—

It happened.

The cattle mooed.

Hinata shrieked.

“Great success! Now we have a moo cow!”

“B... But how...?!”

“Smoke and mirrors, maybe?” Komaeda suggested as Hinata sputtered helplessly.

“It’s not a cow, though,” Matsuda said. “It’s a steer.”

“ _THAT’S_ what you’re concerned with?!”

“I was told it would be a cow. I’m disappointed.”

“ _Oi_...”

“Goodness!” Usami gasped. “Sensei will remedy that, then!”

“That’s not the problem here...!”

But of course, Hinata went ignored.

* * *

Back to introductions.

“Yeah, so I don’t know like...any of you.”

“Eh? O-Owari-san... You don’t remember from the beach?”

“Haha! Sorry, sorry! I don’t. There was way too many of you to remember, so...”

“Ah, I see... Um. We can do them again, then, aha... It’s no problem...”

“Well anyway! Owari Akane! Nice to meet’cha!”

She gives a big stupid grin, and Matsuda’s brow furrowed.

_This kind of person seems like...an idiot. A total fucking idiot._

“But she is rather impressive,” Komaeda rattles off. “Creative and magnificent when she puts her mind to it, as expected of the Ultimate Gymnast!”

“And when she doesn’t?” Matsuda asks, because of course he does.

“She doesn’t even bother showing up.” Komaeda kept on smiling.

_Ah. So she’s that kind of person. Raw talent and arrogance. Well, she does look really fucking stupid._

Owari picked at her ear, blissfully ignorant. As one would expect.

_It must be real fucking nice to have the leeway to not **have** to work that hard._

Hinata seemed to be looking at her weirdly, making a face. Matsuda elbowed him sharply.

“H-Hey, what was that for?!”

“You were staring too _hard_ ,” Matsuda sneered. “Creep.”

“W-Wha— _no_?!”

“Oh, so that’s the kind of body you like, Hinata-kun?”

“No! Don’t say that so loud!”

With those two squabbling, Matsuda turned back to Owari. And then, he noticed something odd.

“Oi.”

She perked up, friendly as ever.

“Yeah?”

“What the hell kind of look were you giving that cow?”

“Look? Well... Don’t you think it looks juicy?” she asked. “I haven’t had red meat in a while, so...!”

“...” _Red meat bimbo should be her nickname._ “Don’t eat that one. Earlier, when that dumbass rabbit was going on a cow transformation frenzy, she ended up inflicting it on a chicken I rather liked. So...if you’re going to eat any of them, pick a different one.”

“Ah, okay. Got’cha!”

“...”

_Well that was settled pretty painlessly. Unlike with that stupid rabbit who ended up scolding me._

He’s honestly kind of surprised, but when he thinks about it, he shouldn’t be.

_It must be nice...to be that carefree because you’re just too stupid and big-headed to know any better. That said... She doesn’t seem like a bad person. A potential pain in the ass, certainly, but... I guess she’s alright. That said..._

“Mmgh.”

“Hmm?”

_Just looking at her gives me a headache._

* * *

“Saionji Hiyoko! Nice to meet you, nii and _nii_! Nii- _nii_! One, two, three!”

With each syllable, she presses her thumb into the ground, crushing the thorax of ant after ant, with the rest scattering and scrambling to get away. No avail because she was relentless, counting each fatality in her rampage.

The image of childish innocence and traditional dance—yeah, he honestly wasn’t surprised at all. This is just what happens when a brat draws a likely dubious crowd.

“When you press down on their bellies in juuuuust the right spot,” she giggles. “It makes just most satisfying squish! Four, five, six!”

She gives Hinata an expectant look, eyes wide and bright. Childish innocence.

“Do you want to give it a try, Hinata-onii?”

“No, why would I?!” Hinata gawked at the idea.

“Awww, that’s a shame.” Just like that, her face twisted into a smug sneer. “Wimp.” Just like that, she bounced right back into chipper cheer when faced with Matsuda. “And you? You were in quite the bitchy mood earlier.”

Squish. Squish. Squish.

“Maybe something like this will help?”

_Y’know, it’s weird. For whatever reason, this scenario feels—_

**_Familiar..._ **

Matsuda winced, rubbing his head with a grumble.

“It really could help!” Saionji chirped. “Try it! Unless you’re a big fat wimp too, teehee.”

“...mmgh...” His features twitch as he grimaces before his expression smooths back over. “Seems like a worthless way to relieve stress if you ask me.” He shrugs. “Not only are the deaths pretty meaningless since those are all mindless drones anyway, but when you crush an ant, it makes this acrid stink that I’m really not a fan of. It’s worthless, completely worthless.”

_Something like that—_

“It’s just such a shallow way of making yourself feel big.”

Saionji pauses, smile cherubic.

“...arrogant prick.” Just like that, she resumes. “You know what, I don’t think I like you at all, Matsuda-onii.”

_That’s not what ṡ̶̘͓̂͜h̷̺́̾ḙ̴͚̊—_

**_Urgh._ **

“...Can’t say I’m your biggest fan either,” he muttered.

_Just being around her is so unpleasant—but in ways that are weirdly sickening. Why is that? It’s not like I actually give a shit about what this kimono gremlin says and does. How irritating._

He should stop thinking about it.

He _needs_ to stop thinking about it.

For his own sake.

* * *

“Ah, Matsuda-kun, you’re looking unwell again...”

“Mmf. It’s probably because I’m not used to this much fucking sun.” Matsuda blocks the rays with his arm, but it doesn’t do much good. “It’s weird, though, isn’t it...I don’t think I’ve gotten a burn from it, yet.”

“Well, you have been ducking under the shade pretty often,” Komaeda says. “So maybe that’s why?”

“I gueeeeess?”

“You still shouldn’t take more of those pills,” Hinata said. “It’s not healthy.”

“I’m sorry, did Ultimate Who Fucking Knows just try to give _me_ medical advice?”

“I-I could have a medical-related talent...!” Hinata exclaimed in the least convincing tone ever.

Matsuda only gives him a withering look, and he shrinks back.

“...I-It’s possible,” he mumbles lamely.

“I’m sure that even if it’s not medical that it’s a wonderful talent, Hinata-kun,” Komaeda said reassuringly, but voicing his own doubts in it being medical, albeit implicitly, did little to lift Hinata’s spirits.

“Mmgh...”

_He really does get discouraged so damn easily. Is that just because he doesn’t remember his talent?_

Well, it’s not like he _really_ cares. He _doesn’t_ care.

“...mmgh.”

* * *

The plucky trio continued exploring and observing, eventually coming across a bridge to another island. Hinata pressed a bit closer to Komaeda than necessary as they crossed. The new island was considerably more closed off, with several locked gates. Suspicious as hell, but...

_Maybe that’s where the staff is...?_

It seemed the only logical conclusion to make.

_Unless I’m supposed to believe they’re a bunch of fucking ninjas. You know what, I’d believe anything at this point. Within reason._

Eventually, however, they found an open park. It was expansive, covering quite the amount of ground with carefully managed gardens between the paths of cobblestone, all surrounding one particular statue comprising of several animals and what seemed to be a warrior on horseback, holding their spear high in the air.

_...the hell? That’s the kind of thing you see in a museum not in some park. That’s just so fucking much._

“Cool,” Komaeda said.

“Creepy,” Hinata said.

“Eccentric,” Matsuda said. “Just what kind of fucking weirdo _owns_ this place?”

_There’s still not any clear sign of danger—but I feel like I can’t let down my guard for a moment._

There’s someone else there, staring intensely at the statue as well, arms crossed. Matsuda blinks a few times. His staring is noticed.

_...there’s something off about this one._

“What do you want?”

_But that voice—this is the guy who was taking charge as I went to sleep. A big guy, huh? Literally and metaphorically. And he’s unfriendly, too. Pweh._

“Togami-kun,” Komaeda says, pulling Hinata along. Again, Hinata seemed pretty intimidated by any strong glare. While Komaeda was still speaking without a care. “Do you mind some extra introductions?”

Togami quirks a brow as Komaeda cheerfully ushers Hinata forward.

“Go on, Hinata-kun.” He gives Matsuda an encouraging nod. “You too, Matsuda-kun.”

“Um... Hey.” Hinata hesitates. “I’m Hinata Hajime.”

“...” Matsuda’s lips twitched. “Matsuda Yasuke.”

“...” Togami’s own twisted. “My name is Togami Byakuya.”

Matsuda had a feeling that Togami felt the same way about this situation as he himself did.

_Well, I’m glad to reach an understanding with someone._

“Hinata, was it?” Togami then eyed Hinata suspiciously. “Your talent was not listed.”

“Ah, that’s...” Hinata faltered.

“What is it? Why were you scouted? Tell me. Now.”

“I... I-I don’t...remember...” Hinata avoided Togami’s gaze as if in shame. “Sorry.”

“His mind is in a mess from the shock of the situation,” Komaeda said helpfully. “So he’s contracted a bit of amnesia.”

“S-Sorry,” Hinata repeated meekly.

_You really shouldn’t be that ashamed over something you can’t help. Stupid._

“Simpleton.” Togami spoke before Matsuda could voice that thought. “Then, that is all.”

Hinata looked as if he wanted to say something more, but knowing him, he probably had no idea what.

_Useless..._

“This conversation has finished,” Togami stated coldly. “How long do you intend to stand there ridiculously? Move it. That is what skinny people _do_ , correct?”

Matsuda rolled his eyes, at that. “You don’t need to tell me twice.”

“Let’s go, then, Hinata-kun.”

“Y... Yeah...”

Thankfully, Hinata and Komaeda didn’t, either.

Matsuda recognized the name Togami, for the record. Wrapped up in his own business as he may be, he didn’t live under a rock. The Togami family funded some of the hospitals he worked at, and those places hadn’t exactly been on the modest side. The Togami corporation also had a hand in several other institutions. To call the Togami conglomerate one of the world’s richest wouldn’t be inaccurate.

_A member of the Togami family, a member of the Kuzuryuu family, and actual fucking royalty from another country... To have been able to snatch up people like that would take some fucking balls. Did Hope’s Peak really set this up?_

Komaeda was chatting with Hinata amicably, likely explaining all this to the useless idiot. Hinata still seemed to be reeling, and Matsuda clicked his tongue.

“That’s all of them though, right?” he asked. “Unless someone invented a new number in-between, that’s all seventeen students, including us.”

“Yes, that’s everyone,” Komaeda replied. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“...while it may not have been one of the worst fucking moments of my life, it’s definitely among the more tedious and exhausting.” Matsuda rubbed his temple, frowning. “I still really don’t have a good feeling about this whole fucking debacle but we really have no choice but to play along for now, huh...”

“Are you sure you can do that?” Hinata asked. “I don’t think I’ve seen you get along with...anyone since you got here.”

“I’m clearly not the only bitchy one here so if that is a problem, it won’t be just my fault.” He yawned. “But Christ, I’m bitch- _tired_. Why the hell couldn’t she make us do roll call while we were in that classroom instead of jumping straight to the fucking island? Urgh.”

“Are you not used to socializing, Matsuda-kun?” Komaeda asked. “It’s not that much more difficult than talking to patients, right?”

Matsuda thought about that.

“...some of you really pushed it.” _Not to mention..._ “It’s different...talking to someone you who’s relying on you compared to some fucking rando that you would otherwise have nothing to do with.”

“Ohhhh, right.” Komaeda nods in understanding, but he’s the only one convinced.

“How?” Hinata asked, eyes narrow. To that, Matsuda gave him a nasty look.

“That’s the absolute stupidest thing you could have asked me. And it’s likely the stupidest thing I’ve heard all day. Congrats, maybe _that’s_ your talent, the Ultimate Total Fucking Idiot.”

“I-I was just asking...!”

“Hinata-kun, have you never stayed in a hospital before?” Komaeda asked.

“I... Aside from like...the school nurse or checkups...?” Hinata thought about it. “I don’t...think so.”

“Really? You haven’t broken your arm or leg like a dumbass as a kid?” Matsuda asked, squinting at him.

“N-No... What about it?”

Hinata looked at him challengingly, but Matsuda just shrugged.

“I’m impressed, actually.”

“It’s pretty lucky,” Komaeda giggled. “But, that said... Matsuda-kun is right in that doctor-patient relationships are fundamentally different than those between peers. Doctors have an obligation to you, after all, but... Your peers don’t.” A pause. “But  here, we _are_ obligated to get all along, and if Matsuda-kun can handle the responsibility of others’ lives... He can play nice with us for a little while so that we can escape this place. I believe in him.”

Matsuda scoffed.

“It’s stupid,” he muttered, digging his foot into one of the cobblestones’ crevices. “This is so fucking stupid. None of this is normal. And I’m not...”

“You’ve tolerated Hinata-kun and I for this long,” Komaeda pointed out. “You waited for us even after we got separated. So... I think you really are a kind person deep down, Matsuda-kun.”

_...does he seriously—_

“...you _really_ think that?” Hinata was the one who asked that. All the same, Komaeda positively beamed.

“Of course I do!”

_Wow. That’s just..._

“Sad. That’s really, _really_ sad.” _Christ, I feel like nothing I could say would even faze this kid if he really truly believes pitiful and beyond fucking desperate shit like that._ “Now I just feel _sorry_ for you.”

_Just, **good fucking god**._

Even Hinata looked worried for Komaeda, but Komaeda kept on smiling. Without a care.

_Someone like this—it’s also unpleasantly **familiar**. In a way that is infuriating and **painful**._

“...g-geez...”

**_What the hell am I even supposed to do?_ **

He thought about just running away, getting the hell out of dodge because with how sickly Komaeda looked, he probably had shit stamina, but then—

_“Great going, everyone!!!”_

Oh _fuck_.

When he turned, sure enough there was Usami’s stupid grinning face on one of the monitors.

_“You’re all already getting along so very, very well! Sensei’s so happy...so proud...!”_

**_In what fucking universe?_ **

_“To celebrate, I’ve prepared very special wonderful presents so that you all can be happy, too!”_

**_Ugh._ **

_“They’ll be waiting for you at the beach! Sorry for the trouble~!!”_

**_Urgh._ **

_“Let’s make hope sparkle together~~!!”_

**_Oh my fucking god._ **

The monitor clicked off, and Matsuda already had his response.

“ _Forget_ that shit.” With a ‘tch’, he buried his hands into his coat pockets, shaking his head as he did. “Count me out of _that_.”

“I don’t know if it’s safe either,” Hinata mumbled. “But...”

“But nothing,” Matsuda snapped. “I’ve already been forced to play along for too damn long. I need a break or else I’m going to lose my shit.”

“M-Mmf.” Hinata flinched. “Yeah it... Probably better if...”

“Haaaaah.”

Komaeda sighs loudly, arms crossing.

“Matsuda-kun, _really_? Is that how far your hope goes? That’s a little disappointing.”

_Hah?_

“Even if you don’t want to socialize, you’ve been curious about what’s been going on, right?” Komaeda goes on. Just like that, a smile flickers back across his lips. “Isn’t this a good time for our entire class to discuss our findings amongst one another? Wouldn’t that be the best option for figuring out the truth behind all this?”

Matsuda perked up at that, blinking.

“With everyone working together, we’ll definitely prevail, don’t you think?” Komaeda asked with nothing short of bright-eyed belief. “Even when it’s difficult, things are always easier when you have others helping you!”

“...”

“Let’s all go together,” Komaeda says. “So that we can figure out this mystery all together, too.”

“...”

**_...ah._ **

“We should at least take more precautions,” Hinata comments softly. “But...”

“ _Shit_ ,” Matsuda cursed, running his fingers through his hair. “You’re unfortunately not _wrong_.”

_Even the stupidest people have their senses._

Komaeda beamed again, so goddamn radiantly that Matsuda honestly wished he could hate him at least a little.

_This idiot in particular just made too **much** sense. So, let’s just roll with it for now._


	3. Rest In Pieces, Prologue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which things get worse earlier than Matsuda Yasuke predicted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, here's the end of the prologue! Weird to write, but a lot of fun, all things considered! Not sure what else to say here, though. It's about half the length of the last part, although it was probably more difficult due to it being hell when you're writing dialogue for sixteen characters at once. Noisy. So noisy.
> 
> But still fun. Yeah.
> 
> Things are only going to get more difficult from here on out but I'm excited! Hopefully I don't die or something.

The first thing that happened once they were all gathered on the beach was Togami chewing them out for being late, which was the most stellar fucking way to start, with Matsuda seething as Komaeda politely apologized on their behalves.

But that was out of the way quickly, and they were soon talking about actually important matters.

“For some reason,” Pekoyama says. “All of the bridges save for one are blocked off. That’s worrying.”

“When I tried to get past them,” Mioda chirped. “That bunny showed up and said they were just there so that we didn’t get lost!”

_Lost, huh?_

“There’s five islands, right?” Matsuda asks. “So I guess it makes sense. There’s also that considering how carefully maintained that these two islands are... It’s likely that whatever staff is here is also working to prepare the other islands as well.”

_Or they’re hiding._

“I see...” Pekoyama pondered it, but still seemed uncertain.

“It’s a theory,” Togami murmurs. “But what about everyone else?”

They continued chatting, talking about the stuff Matsuda had already seen for himself, such as the stocked supermarket, the fancy hotel, and the big farm. And then went on about making useless fucking comments such as the island looking like a resort and whenever Hanamura had anything to say. Togami seemed pretty unimpressed, too, but there was one thing Matsuda just had to ask because he seriously doubted it’d be brought up otherwise.

“That rabbit bitch said this place was called Jabberwock. Does that name not ring a bell for _anyone_ here?”

He got mostly confused looks, but some of them were at least thinking about it.

“...it’s a monster, right?!” Mioda shouted first to break the silence. “Graaaagh, gaaaarrr, gyahahaha!”

“It burbled as it came!” Sonia exclaimed. “One, two, one, two! And through and through!”

“What beast of which do you speak?!” Tanaka hissed. “I, Tanaka Gundam, have not even heard of such a creature...!!!”

“Gyahahaha!”

“She chortled in her joy!”

“I don’t think that’s what Matsuda-kun meant,” Komaeda says, laughing lightly as Matsuda just stared until his eyes rolled far back enough to see pink.

“...” _Should I be aggravated by that asinine response or impressed that the punkcore off her fucking rockers apparently knows her European classics?_ “This place is like, a resort, right? So has anyone at _least_ heard of Jabberwock as a vacation spot?”

“Oh, no, I have not,” Sonia said. “Apologies.”

“Nope, nope!” Mioda chirped as Tanaka agonized.

“...I have heard a few things,” Togami speaks up. “For example, have none of you noticed the bronze statue?”

“We were literally in the same fucking park as you where it was,” Matsuda snapped. “So of course _we_ did.”

“You, uh, mean the statue with all those freaky animals, right?” Hinata asked.

Togami nods to Hinata, and transparently ignored Matsuda.

“I have heard once of an archipelago within the Pacific, known well for its everlasting summer and scenic beauty,” he said. “Each of the five islands is supposedly protected by five respective animals. When I saw that statue—I knew the rabbit’s words of this place being Jabberwock to be true.”

Matsuda perked, thinking it over.

_So that statue is a symbol of the island?_

“However, there are a few concerns if that is the case,” Togami went on. “So I shall continue to investigate further and inform you all.”

_Ex **cuse** me?_

“What concerns?” Matsuda asked. “What about Jabberwock itself is a concern?”

“As I said...” Togami hmphed. “I need to investigate further.”

“That’s fucking _stupid_ , there’s no reason to put off telling us right now—”

“What does it matter?” Owari asked loudly. “Who even cares? We’re gonna be living here for the time being anyway.”

“It’s not _so_ bad,” Koizumi said. “It’s not like this place is _dangerous_ or anything, so why not try to make the most of it?”

“Yeah, no school!” Souda whooped alongside Mioda. “Fine by me!”

“B-But...” Hinata stammered. “It’s...still...”

“Stupid,” Matsuda muttered darkly. “So, so _stupid_.” And then, his voice raises. “Aren’t you concerned about our kidnappers at _all_?”

“Well, it’s not like we have any means of escape,” Hanamura murmured, fiddling with his fingers. “And the island is nice... The girls are cute...”

“The island is nice, I like it lots,” Saionji agreed before snickering. “But the people are another story.”

“Look, I don’t fucking like anyone here either, but... You do realize that we’re completely at these fuckers’ mercy, _right_?” Matsuda pointed out. “Yes, right now we’re just expected to get along... But the people in charge could change their mind at _any_ moment. By kidnapping us in the first place, they’ve already shown zero fucking consideration for consent. That sets a _dangerous_ precedent.”

“T-That’s scary,” Tsumiki whimpered. “But... B- _But_...”

“There are also no means of communication,” Pekoyama said. “We do not have any radio signals, thus calling for help is incredibly difficult.”

“Well, we could swim,” Owari suggested.

“A-A raft is also possible!” Hinata hurriedly added. “Like we could just build one from the trees...”

“Except the rules wouldn’t allow that, right?” Nanami yawned. “So that might be a bad idea... I think.”

“S-Still...”

“Is it not the case that your fears have made you paranoid and irrational?” Tanaka asked haughtily. “To worry oneself with nothing more than mere suggestive possibilities is foolish.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, fucking forgive me for doubting the apparent good will of _fucking_ _kidnappers_ ,” Matsuda hissed. “Do you seriously hear yourself right now or is your head shoved so fucking up your Chuuni Ass Crack that you fucking _seriously_ —”

“Matsuda-kun.” Komaeda stopped him a bit more firmly. “While I understand how you feel, getting incited and arguing won’t help, either.”

Matsuda scowled. “Oi.”

“If we just collect hope fragments, it’ll be fine, right?” Nanami asked drearily. “Um, just by introducing ourselves, we all got one so... There’s nothing to worry about, I think. We’ll be able to leave soon if we just keep at this pace...maybe.”

Hinata groaned. “I don’t know if I can just believe that.”

“We have no choice,” Togami exhaled. “At least not right now.”

“But will we _ever_ is the real question,” Matsuda said lowly.

“Oh, Matsuda-kun,” Komaeda sighed.

“U-Uuu... Please don’t fight...” Usami sniffled. “Sensei really doesn’t have bad intentions; believe me. I would never endanger _any_ of my precious students!”

“...”

“I just want all of you to have fun and make wonderful memories alongside wonderful new friends!” she went on. “Please, rather than worry, just enjoy your daily island lives to the fullest extent!”

“...”

Everyone stared.

“Butting in on the conversation is a shitty way of alleviating any concerns,” Matsuda said. “How fucking long were you even _standing_ there?”

“O-Oh, not long! I wanted to give you all as much extra time to get to know each other as possible without any interventions!” Usami chirped before mourning. “And you all were getting along _so_ well... Uu...”

_When the **hell** was that?_

“Where’s our presents, Usami-chan?!” Mioda exclaimed, moving onto more important things. “You said you had presents!”

“Oh right!” Usami once again bounces back. “Love, love! Here you all go!”

With more of those bounces, she plopped into the hand of each student a little charm.

Of herself.

“...”

_...well I already knew that our kidnappers were up their asses considering some of the students here, but giving a gift that’s just the image of yourself is..._

Matsuda pushed its belly. It chirped out a greeting in Usami’s sugary voice. Like the real thing. Only he could more easily eat it if he wanted to.

“They’re kinda cute, I guess,” Nanami says. “Um... I like how the ears look like rabbit ears.”

“It’s because I am a rabbit!” Usami explained cheerily before giggling. “Although yes, it’s very, very cute, isn’t it!”

“You’re so fucking full of yourself that it’s off the charts,” Matsuda said. “This is the kind of shit you just give to goodwill because you don’t have the confidence that it’ll sell on wahoo auctions.”

“E-Eh?”

“Worthless,” Togami agreed.

“So super majorly disappointing,” Mioda sighed.

“But, hey,” Matsuda went on. “At least this is suitable motivation for wanting the get off the island faster with crap merch like this.”

“I-I did prepare a ‘motive’...!” Usami squeaked. “For everyone to get along...!”

“What is it?” Komaeda asked, curious.

“U-Uu...” She whined at them. “You children are so horrible that I don’t know if I should...”

“If we’re so horrible then I guess getting along is impossible after all,” Matsuda sighed, making her freak.

“O-Oh no! Please don’t say that! No, no, no!” Flailing about, Usami finally pulled out too considerably large swimming bags from—her ass, supposedly. “We are by the sea, so it would be a shame if we didn’t make the most of it...! And we are all together so we should celebrate...!”

With that, she pulled out a swimsuit with flourish.

“Ta-daaaaa! Prepared swimsuits! Well, they’re school swimsuits, but...!”

“That’s already so much better than the other thing!” Souda exclaimed. “Hell YEAH!”

“Who the hell would just swim right here right now?!” Hinata demanded.

* * *

Unsurprisingly, the answer was most of them. Togami and Kuzuryuu weren’t terribly interested, of course, and Saionji decided the best use of her time would be chasing crabs. But as for everyone else? Gone to change.

Owari unsurprisingly had to be stopped from stripping and just going in the nude, and Nanami had to be dragged along despite claiming to be too sleepy for the activity, but... Yeah.

“So, what’s it going to be?” Komaeda asks the sulking chestnut on the ground. “It sounds fun, don’t you think?”

“How can we even have fun at a time like this...?” Hinata grumbled into his knees. “I just don’t understand it at all... Matsuda, you get me, right?”

“It’s really pitiful that you’d turn to me of all people for validation,” Matsuda said.

Unsurprisingly, that just seemed to depress Hinata further.

_...hah._

“I’m not going to swim either way,” Matsuda continues, scratching his cheek. “Too much salt increases risk of stroke and heart failure. So maybe it’s better you don’t swim, Hinata.”

“Mmm...” Komaeda hums thoughtfully. “While Hinata-kun’s feelings are understandable, I don’t think it does much good to just fret. That’s unhealthy too, right?”

“...yeaaah...” Matsuda sucked in air, tasting bitterness and salt. “Still. It’s unsettling just how easily the others accept this kind of situation. Like a bunch of stupid farm animals.”

“It can’t be helped,” Komaeda said. “And things really don’t seem _so_ bad.”

“I guess it must be nice,” Matsuda exhaled. “Able to just roll with something like that. Do you think they’ve just been fucking traumatized by worse shit? Or that they’re really just _that_ naïve?”

Komaeda chuckled softly, but provided no answer. Which was fair.

“Well, in the end, it’s none of my concern,” Matsuda murmured. “Good for them. They’re able to enjoy their dubious as fuck vacation. Meanwhile, I...”

_I have...so much more that I **need** to do...but I can’t, because I was trapped here. For that reason, I’m never going to forgive our kidnappers for this._

Hinata sighs heavily and gloomily.

“Yeah, I don’t think these are circumstances that I can be friends with anyone,” Matsuda finds himself saying. “But, then again, I don’t think those circumstances even exist.”

_For whatever reason, the idea is like an interloper my brain can’t help but violently reject. Even if assistance is necessary at times, people can’t always be relied on. Right? It’s just too much trouble. Too much._

“That’s a shame,” Komaeda says so gently that it’s beyond aggravating. “But, you know, if you change your mind, you could probably accomplish wonderful things alongside the others, Matsuda-kun.”

Matsuda bit his tongue.

“Hinata-kun, feel free to join us whenever you like, okay?” Komaeda is giving Hinata that soft smile next, and Hinata does wearily meet his eyes. Komaeda brightens. “It would be really nice if you did. At least, I think so.”

With that, Komaeda departs as well with his swimwear. Matsuda and Hinata both watch him go.

“...maybe it’s wrong,” Hinata utters, so quietly that Matsuda almost didn’t hear him. “Maybe our understanding of this situation is—wrong or...misguided or...”

Matsuda bristled.

“If that’s what you think then fucking go with them,” he said harshly. “Just go. I can’t stand your whining. Go cool your head. It’ll do a hell of a lot more good than just moping like a little bitch.”

Hinata cringed but pushed himself up, wiping his hands on his jeans.

“...honestly,” Hinata huffs. “I really don’t want to be _anything_ like you.”

With that, he hurriedly turns on his heel, dashing in the direction of the hotel.

“Komaeda!! Hey! Wait for me!”

Matsuda clicked his tongue and looked away quickly.

“That thing likely did not lie. There is no logical reason to do so.”

Matsuda twitched at the words.

“The funny thing is,” he replies, turning to Togami with a harsh glare. “People aren’t always the most logical of creatures. They can be capricious and fickle for no reason other then what the hell.”

Togami hmphed.

“You are quite the cynical one, aren’t you. Cynical and arrogant.”

“Hypocrite,” Matsuda droned, unimpressed.

“I wonder what it is,” Togami mused. “Is it mere cynicism? Mere arrogance? Or cowardice?”

Matsuda wasn’t going to dignify _that_ shit with a proper answer.

“So why the hell are you sticking around with me?” he asked, jabbing his thumb in the general direction of Kuzuryuu. “I know _he’s_ got his whole big guy act to hold up, but what about you?”

He’s pretty sure that if Kuzuryuu heard that, he’d be dead if looks could kill. But right now, he can’t begin to care, instead staring intently at Togami for an answer.

“I have no interest in the sea,” was the simple answer. “It is too salty.”

“Pffft.” Matsuda snorted. He shrugged. “Well, can’t argue with that.”

* * *

With a loud chorus of whoops, his classmates were having a blast jumping into the water. Between the shining sun and glimmering ocean, they were all cheering.

For what it was worth, it looked _fun_ , Matsuda thought. But, from his spot under the shade, it was also irritatingly bright.

_It must be nice,_ he thought, removing his sandals so that he could bury his feet in the sand.

Not too far off, Tsumiki was waiting with a first aid kit, happily offering her services to whoever needed them whenever. At least there was that.

Tanaka was cackling over some stupid sand castle he was building for his hamsters. Matsuda watched him coo over those rodents, and quickly averted his gaze elsewhere.

Mioda was definitely the loudest out of everyone, still tugging Nanami along, pushing her about in a floatie that came from who even knows. Nanami seemed half-asleep, because of course she did.

Sonia was kicking around the waves, giggling and getting ogled by Souda. Gross. But if Sonia wasn’t going to pay him mind, then Matsuda shouldn’t either.

Hanamura and Nidai were—oh. No, he’s not that curious. Moving on. Quickly. _Quickly_.

“Watch your step, Hinata-kun!”

Komaeda’s voice, clear and cheerful. Komaeda himself, who looked paler than a fucking bed sheet under all that sun, showing all that skin. Komaeda laughing like that, when a small wave could probably crumble him, with Hinata being the more visibly nervous one.

Visibly nervous, and yet with a smile twitching across his lips, as if Komaeda’s own was disgustingly contagious.

Usami sighs happily, clearly joyous at the sight that Matsuda watches with a dull gaze and a straight line.

_They’re acting like a bunch of kids._

Koizumi was keeping a careful eye on Owari, and on that Matsuda wasn’t going to pay further mind. Hinata was still tense around the shoulders, and unsurprisingly worked up about getting splashed again. Pekoyama was pretty focused on her strokes, almost distracting Mioda from Nanami. There were ripples in the cheer, and yet, it remained a carefree image.

Like the kind of thing put on the back of a fucking postcard.

_Like the one I was given as a souvenir before. By someone who—while I myself..._

Matsuda picks at his peeling lips with his teeth. Kuzuryuu curses and complains, Togami observes coolly, and Saionji keeps on stomping after scurrying creatures.

For some reason, Hinata is laughing. Maybe at a joke? Maybe someone did something silly? Because he’s finally having fun after being a wound up basket case up until this point?

He doesn’t know. But he doesn’t really care. It’s not like it matters.

A hermit crab nudges his ankle. Matsuda pulls away before it pinches him, scowling.

_...if I had a manga, it wouldn’t be so bad. Hell, it might even be nice._

He has to pluck the hermit crab up by its shell, because it keeps crawling towards him. Remembering Saionji, he tucks it somewhere more hidden and safe without thinking.

_...it might even be nice, but... I’m not someone who can afford to relax. I’m not someone who can just make friends. I just..._

He’s pinched for his troubles, and when he scowls, the crab just scuttles into the grass.

_I just don’t have the time for this. Even if I did, would it really be alright? Really? After everything?_

_After everything I’ve d̷̛͚̼̟͆̄͜͝ô̶̯̗̹͉n̸̬̱̚͜ẻ̵͓̀̃?̷̫͓̅̈͂_

**_...huh?_ **

Matsuda perked up, blinking.

Something was buzzing. Something was ringing. The laughter and rolling waves are as though beyond a glass wall.

_Ba-dump._

_Ba- **dump**._

**_C̷̝͎̩͗͆a̵̮̔n̵̢̖̳̤͂ ̶̳̱͕̭̉̋͝y̴̤̬̑o̸̥̤̦̿̾u̷̢̟̩̎ ̷̠͌͂h̵͖̹̫̅͠è̶̥̬̓a̷̺̹͙̠̽ŗ̷̲̼̅̂̋͘ ̸̺͎̖͈̂̽m̵͕̭̝̖͘̚ê̵͕̮͋?̴̯͗͝_ **

Matsuda stood up and stumbled a bit, steadying himself on the palm tree.

_What...the hell?_

_What the **hell**?_

**_What the hell?!_ **

“H-Hey...” Kozumi speaks up worriedly. “What’s going on?”

Matsuda looks around. As though the very color had been drained away, the sky had gone from that vibrant blue to a dark, tumultuous gray. A great shadow is overcast, and everyone has ceased their actions to stare upwards.

And from somewhere imperceptible, a voice come up, resounding.

_“Haah... Aaah... Testing, testing... One, two... Aah...!”_

Matsuda blinked once.

_“Can you hear me? Hello? Hello?”_

Something about the voice sank within him deep, heavy, and cold. It was high-pitched, almost screechy, and the easygoing giggle was one of malice.

Everything was dark. Everything was cold. He remembered something so unpleasant that he felt his entire body twist and distort like gears rubbing one another raw. Screeching. _Shrieking_.

**_“̶̬̝̟̲̚W̴͔͋̃͜h̶̛̙̒̏ã̵͕͌̂͑t̷̺͇͛̾̈́̈́ ̸̰̫̬̖͗h̴͙̪̳̍̈́̃à̸̺̠̚v̵̧̩̣̹̔e̴̯͂̑ ̸̰͉͇̮͛̒͠y̸̫͙̓̿o̸̟̖̜̔̕u̴̧̦͇̥͒͆̕ ̶͓̑̎d̷̲̗̟̾o̴͔̪̯͆n̷͈̺͂͜͜e̴̛̔̒͒ͅ?̴͖͒͋̎̈́!̴̖̜̞̿͠”̷̼̭̗͚̋̍_ **

“What...” Matsuda swallows. “What have you done...?”

_What... **What**?_

_“Sorry to keep you all waiting, upupupu!”_

Another blink.

_“Well, time to put an end to this farcical sideshow...and as the star performer, I would like to bring you all to the proper stage!”_

Usami had already rushed off, and without thinking, Matsuda found himself moving as if controlled.

_“Everyone! Gather up at Jabberwock Park right away!”_

Without even thinking, Matsuda burst into a manic sprint, heart hammering with each pounding footstep. There might’ve been a shout—maybe Komaeda or Hinata had cried out his name, but, _but_ —

For whatever reason, he just couldn’t even think, like his mind itself was racing too fast for even him to keep up with.

_Y’know, looking back on all this, it’s really not all that surprising, huh?_

_Like how a marionette moves on strings, I can’t help even when they cut in deep, slicing through like a scalpel._

_Digging in deep, like ice picks through the skull._

If he could see himself now, he’d definitely look like someone out of their fucking mind.

_When you’re like this, you don’t even have a choice._

_Something like that—is more than all the world’s hope and despair can begin to convey._

**_What are you supposed to do, then?_ **

_T#@t’$--_

* * *

_“...what I **love** about you. That you let yourself get **used** so easily. For what is nothing more than **your** **own** **sake**.”_

_“...”_

_“I really, really **love** you.”_

* * *

He stumbles into the park, doubling over and panting, face flushed from exertion and sweat cooling on his nape. Somehow, his hands were shaking as he brushed back his hair as he wheezed, swallowing back saliva and bile he nearly coughed up.

“H-How dare you even come here!! Just what do you think you’re _doing_?!”

Usami’s yelling squeaks at points, but when Matsuda manages to raise his gaze, he sees that she’s fixed into a defensive position, wielding that silly stick of hers as any worthwhile weapon. Pointed towards—

A monochromatic bear. Propped up on the statue. Sitting and grinning down at all of them, the red bolt gleaming in a way that was near blinding in the cold dark.

“You have no right to be here!” Usami shouts, near shrieks. “N-No right at all!!”

“Ohhhh? Is that really sooo?” The bear’s position and expression don’t change at all. “And yet, here I am. Wild, huh?”

_...what even the hell is all this?_

Matsuda felt his insides lurch to the point of nearly doubling over, which definitely seemed like an overreaction to some beyond tacky mascot thing, but...

_But for whatever reason, that thing really gives me the most twisted feeling_.

He covers his nose and mouth as if the very air surrounding it were poisonous. He shivered, hearing his pulse jump and trip over itself.

_It’s—_

Someone calling his name. That tacky bear remains unmoved. Unchanged. There are rapid footfalls and several of them—the sound of everyone else’s arrival. That tacky bear still just sits there, but it seems almost smug.

“Greetings, everyone!” came the jolly exclamation. “I am Monokuma! The headmaster of Hope’s Peak Academy! A pleasure to finally meet you all! Sorry for the wait!”

_What is it even talking about?_

His head hurt. It seriously fucking hurt.

_I’ve seen the headmaster of Hope’s Peak give speeches on TV before. Obviously this isn’t the same guy. What the hell is that thing? And, more importantly, **why** —_

“S...Stay back! Everyone, stay back!” Usami yelled. “This guy is very, very dangerous!!”

“Oh my, oh my,” the bear cooed. “Even so... You can’t seriously tell me you’re satisfied with this, right?”

The question is directed at them, not the fuming Usami.

“This whole sham! Lovey-dovey? Heart-throbbing?! The flip?! It’s flat and lukewarm like soda left out overnight that you still drink anyway just because it’s there! _Booooring_! So boring that it’s beyond _despairing_!” A gagging sound, and then a laugh. “Thankfully you have this wonderful, adorable, sexy furry little bear! Dis bear! To _spice_ _shit_ **_up_**!”

“N-Not if I have any say in it!” Usami shot back. “Despair in any form is not welcome on this island!”

Usami charges forward, and Matsuda can only stand there, baffled by the whole display.

The scene plays like something out of one of the old anime he liked to watch. How there had been an episode where the mascot tried to fight against the monster, and that ended as expected.

Usami tries to land a hit on Monokuma, and Monokuma dodges, and slams its paw into her face, sending her flying. She cries out in pain, and Monokuma crushes her stupid little staff under its foot. She cries out again.

“...w-what is this,” Matsuda mutters, stepping back. “Is this supposed to be part of some show?”

“It doesn’t feel that way,” Komaeda says tensely.

“Usami...sounds really hurt,” Nanami murmurs, with the pause having the slightest shiver.

“Oh it’s real, babe!” Monokuma exclaims, giggling as it does. “We’re at the end of the shit filler! So we’re in need for a revamp.” With that malicious gaze glimmering down at the trembling Usami, that malicious grin widens. “Starting with you, Monomi, my _dear_ little sister.”

“L-Little sister...?” Usami seemed horrified at the idea. “W-What are you saying, you fiend...?!”

“That’s no way to talk to your big brother! Now! Let’s get you out of that unsightly plain garment and mold you into my perfect image! You should be thanking me! After all, pure white rabbits are just _so_ out of fashion these days!”

When Usami started screaming again, she _really_ screamed. So much so that Matsuda had to look away, flinching as the sound hurt both his ears and head.

“N-No!”

“Yes! Perfect!”

Matsuda opens his eyes, taking in Usami’s new appearance. Trembling, sniffling half-pink, dressed in a creepy diaper, she ended up sobbing. When she tries to flail at Monokuma, she just ends up getting hit again.

“W-What even the hell is up with this puppet show?!”

“It’s bad—it definitely seems bad.”

“Did she just get assimilated?! That’s super _mega_ bad!”

“But—what is the meaning of that tanuki’s sudden appearance?”

“ _Is_ that a tanuki?”

“Why is there another one? What’s going on?!”

“What exactly _happened_ to Usami? She looks weird...!”

“What is th’s, what _is_ th’s?! What’s goin’ on?!”

“H-How would I know?!”

_Urgh_. **_Urgh_**.

His head was hammering, and Matsuda felt his knees shake.

**“Shut _UP_! ALL OF YOU, JUST SHAAAAAAD UP!!!”**

The bear’s bellowing was so thunderous that lightning struck above.

 “Goodness gracious, what is with today’s youth?!” it exclaimed, shaking its paw at them. “First off! I’m a bear! Second off! My appearance is not weird! Most importantly! I, Monokuma, demand respect as your headmaster!”

Matsuda rubbed at his temple, grimacing as he did.

_Respect... Headmaster... Fucking seriously? Is this thing for real?_

“I don’t know what you are,” he spits out. “But I know damn well you’re no headmaster. You—whatever the _hell_ you are...”

“I’m a bear!” Monokuma cut him off. “And you really shouldn’t talk back to your superiors, y’know? Shouldn’t you _know_ that by now?! But...” Suddenly, it was smiling, easygoing and upbeat. “I forgive you. For now. There are more important things to talk about! Such as how it’s gonna be from now on. See, we can’t seriously expect the world to be happy with lukewarm hangouts. And so!” A twirl. “Starting now! Everyone get ready for the Mutual Killing Game, starring—all of you, but of course!”

**_...huh?_ **

Something about those cheerful words plunged the atmosphere into a bone-deep chill. Cackling, Monokuma went on.

“That’s right! The highly rated, critically acclaimed Mutual Killing Game in which you have a fabulous time murdering each other! It’s to _die_ for!”

“N-No...! I won’t let you!” Usami cried. “I absolutely—!”

He kicks her back down.

“Monomi, Monomi... You really don’t get your place, huh? You dumb bunny.”

“E-Even so...” she’s trembling, struggling to get back up. “I won’t... I absolutely won’t let you... I’ll protect them... I-I...”

“Ohhh? _You_...?”

_That’s—_

“That’s enough.”

Matsuda shut his mouth as Monokuma looked over, grin manic. But Kuzuryuu just kept talking.

“You show up out of fucking nowhere and just demand we kill each other? Just who the _hell_ do you think you are?”

“I told you!” Monokuma bristled. “I’m Mono—!”

“We’ve let you go on talking for long enough,” Nidai spoke up next, emanating a crackling, defiant energy. “While I don’t like resorting to it, if you want VIOLENCE...”

“I’m ALL for a BRAWL!” Owari exclaimed, cracking her knuckles in agreement. “I could take a weird black-white bear, no problem!”

“An intent to murder should be dealt with by force,” Pekoyama added, readying her sword.

“T-That’s right!” Mioda shouted. “Our jock army isn’t gonna let you get away with this!”

“W-Wait!” Usami squeaked. “Everyone, _please_!”

Monokuma jumps back onto the statue’s pedestal.

“If it’s an army against an army...! Come forth, my Monobeasts!”

The statue begins to tremble and break. And the stone falls to pieces as mechanized creatures jump to the ground before Monokuma. Nidai is the first to block the others from coming closer, and Souda is the first to scream as Mioda gargles up foam. Meanwhile, Matsuda stands there, dumbfounded by it all.

_The statue housed that? Shit you’d see out of a toy’s commercial cartoon? Just what the hell is all this?_

Tsumiki was whimpering, Koizumi covered her mouth in fright, Saionji was laughing likely from nerves, Hinata was frozen, and Kuzuryuu stumbled back.

“So stunning it leaves you all speechless,” Monokuma sighs happily. “Yep, aren’t my Monobeasts just the cutest?”

Usami’s quick to get between them and the Monobeasts.

“G-Get away from them! I won’t—even like this, I won’t let you harm my students...!”

_Just what the hell is all this?_ So much was happening at once that Matsuda felt almost dizzy. _The day already started off so bizarrely, but it’s as if we waltzed into an action genre. Is this real? Is any of this real?_

If it was a dream, it was far too drawn out. Usami was shaking like a leave, stubby arms still spread out. If it was a dream, it was too sensitive in the details, with Matsuda able to hear her little sniffle in the midst of other soft sobs, pounding hearts, and how Hanamura falls back onto his rump. If it was a dream, why, then, did it _hurt_ so much to watch?

“What’s this, what’s this?” Monokuma cackles and then gags. “BLARGH! It’s nausea at your silly sense of justice and disobedience! Well, well, I suppose if you’re up to it, you can serve as an example for your _bastard_ students.”

If it was a dream, Matsuda wouldn’t have flinched. If it was a dream, that same sense of rising nausea wouldn’t be so potent.

“...enough already...just...”

The flying Monobeast descends, and it readies a machine gun. It rumbles, and then it unleashes fire. The sounds are loud enough to be ear-shattering, and Matsuda shuts his eyes tightly, covering his ears. Trees still fall, and he could have sworn he felt the very slice of air, shortly after a sharp, sudden sting in his temple that was different from the throbbing. Something wet touches his fingertips, and his eyes shoot open, just in time to see a shredded bow flutter to the ground, right next to the remains of some stuffed animal.

Just like that. It was over.

But everyone was screaming again.

“W-WHAT’S GOING OOOOON?!”

“D-Did Monomi just get KILLED?! When it’s just the first day?!”

“W-What sort of devil’s work—or is it from the future—?!”

“Was that gun _real_?!”

His fingertips are damp with red. Matsuda stares down at it. He more properly registers the sting of what must have been a shallow laceration, but... Because it’s on his head, it’s bleeding profusely and he has to pull out a handkerchief to press against the wound to block it.

_It’s not a dream._

“Satisfied?” Monokuma asks them all so cheerily. “Such beautiful looks! Y’all finally get it! There’s no opposing me unless you want to be blasted to smithereens for the seagulls!”

Everything was quiet, even any gulls there would’ve been.

“Well then,” Monokuma said. “With that annoying preamble out of the way, allow me to properly explain how things are going to be from now on. I do so hope everyone enjoys their trip!”

* * *

Even after Monokuma and those ridiculous monsters leave, there’s still a heavy silence in the air. It turned out that Matsuda wasn’t the only one sliced by the bullets, so after Tsumiki had bandaged him up, they and a few others split the work in doing the same for everyone else.

Hinata nearly collapsed when Matsuda was wiping blood off his cheek. Komaeda’s quick to steady him, but Hinata keeps on shaking.

“Just...what is all this...why now...after I finally got to Hope’s Peak...?”

_He’s completely out of it._ Matsuda looks about. _Well, he’s not the only one._

Hanamura was muttering in denial, as was Souda. Nidai was shouting about those monsters. Koizumi was looking around wildly. Mioda was foaming at the mouth. Tsumiki, too, is trembling as she dresses Owari’s arm.

Nanami was standing there, looking quietly at Usami’s remains. Clicking his tongue, Matsuda makes his way over, and then checks it. He could somehow make out her face, but for the most part all that remained was shredded and singed fluff. He still has his gloves pulled on, so he reaches forward, feeling the radiating heat before deigning it fine to rummage through.

“...what are you doing?” Nanami asks him quietly.

“They’re both stuffed animals, right?” Matsuda squeezes handfuls of the fluff and is aggravated by it. “So, maybe they have the same tech. But I can’t find any machinery or wiring amidst all this...fluff.”

Nanami opens her mouth but shuts it before saying anything further.

“Hey, Mechanic,” Matsuda calls out. “Why don’t _you_ look through this and tell us what you find?”

“A-Are you nuts?!” Souda sputters. “I’m not digging through a _corpse_!”

“It’s not a human corpse,” Matsuda snapped. “If it were, I wouldn’t ask for your help. I’d be fine on my damn own. I’m perfectly capable of autopsies.”

“W-What the fuck?! Did you seriously just say that?!”

“Quit being a fucking wimp and get the hell over here. You should be able to find _some_ kind of programming that can better elaborate what the hell we’re up against.”

“B-But...” Souda tugs at his collar but stumbles forward anyway. “It’s... Ergh... Fine... I-It’s not like...it’s an actual body, right...?”

Matsuda pulls away so that he can do his job, although his hands are quaking.

“...mmm...” Nanami shifted from one foot to the other. “Mm...”

“Don’t just fucking stand there,” Matsuda said sharply. “You’ll be in the way.”

Thankfully, she moved.

At least she _was_ moving, Matsuda thought sardonically. A lot of the rest of the class was still stationary save for the shaking. There was a clear, agitated air, like a wound up coil of anxiety and fear. Given the situation they’re now in... It’s unsurprising.

_I kept complaining about these idiots not taking anything seriously and now... God **fucking** dammit._

He rakes his fingers through his hair.

_I don’t like anyone here. I don’t want to get close to anyone, but..._

“Make no mistake,” Matsuda finds himself saying. “We’re in a situation manufactured to _make_ ourselves doubt one another. We’re faced with something that most people aren’t mentally equipped to handle.” _And I doubt anyone here is all that prepared._ “So, then...”

“If there no one kills,” Sonia murmurs. “There will be no killing, yes?”

“Still,” Togami said. “It would be naïve to expect that blindly in regards to strangers. We not only have that bear and those monsters to be guarded against... We also have to be concerned with every other person among us.”

Unsurprisingly, all of them look amongst each other, seeing the expression of fear and uncertainty time and time again. At least for this, everyone here understood. This situation. This atmosphere.

_Full of people who can’t even say for sure whether or not they’d be unable to kill someone._

They had not only one another to fear, but themselves as well.

What a fucking mess.

What a fucking  _despairing_ mess.

Matsuda, without thinking, pops in a few extra pills. He’ll definitely need them.


	4. Initial Burst Release (Destination: Despair)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We're really going to need someone to take charge if we want to fucking get anywhere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 1 start!
> 
> I swear I'm not just going to put the original title in parenthesis for every chapter because that would be overkill with some of them. But we're keeping it in this time because it's a good title and works in tandem with what I came up with on my own. I think. Don't quote me on that.
> 
> There's reference to a future bonus scene in this part. It's connected to a canonical bonus scene that's cute enough to include. Sadly I don't think I'll be able to include references to the second bonus scene. The one with the girls making chocolate. It's really cute. And I won't be able to use it. That's a shame.
> 
> But writing Matsuda doing his theorizing is a lot of fun, at least. I also really enjoyed writing up descriptions of his cottage interior. I'll figure out a canonical use of that Usami charm later, but for now if you figure out the reference stored in Matsuda's cottage, I'll give you a prize~
> 
> My endless admiration and affection!
> 
> ...and maybe a free short request or something I dunno. I don't expect anyone to get it though considering it's weird. Oh, but uh, it's not a reference to Doubt. Just throwing that out so that no one gets confused with the other weird popular killing game story that dr3 specifically rips off. Here's a hint: it /is/ from a mystery that is somewhat connected to an existing reference within the original game. Or at least the localization. That's all I have to say.

Souda hadn’t been able to find anything. He remarked that even if he did, the gunfire likely would’ve damaged whatever tech past the point of utility. On that worthless note of nothing, everyone just ended up parting ways for the night, likely mulling over what was to come from this killing game.

It was fucking ridiculous that things turned out this way.

_Seriously what even the hell..._

There was even a creepy nighttime announcement courtesy of that stupid fucking bear, and Matsuda ended up slamming his cottage door shut on his way in.

“Ridiculous, ridiculous...”

He finally gets a good look at the interior of his college and—

There’s the expected stuff. A plain bed, a television, another damn security camera, and a pristine wash room. There are also some posters—some depicting various diagrams of the brain, and one poster commemorating the twentieth anniversary of Comic PonPon.

(Hadn’t that been a _g̴i̵f̸t̶_?)

The cottage is also packed with bookshelves of various neurology texts and manga. There are several lab coats hanging up, and a spare pair of slippers. There’s also a work desk, the surface stacked with even more texts of those nature, slightly haphazard in a way Matsuda was used to. There were boxes of snacks that he always favored while eating, and Matsuda is quiet as he sits at the desk and shifts through the papers.

They’re files on strange people wearing animal masks, with medical information that was expertly recorded, if nothing else. The scans, too, are legitimate. The kinds of things that Matsuda absolutely kept on his desk.

He’s quick to shove them into the drawers, scowling.

“Is this some kind of fucking joke or what?!”

_Who prepared this?! Usami? Monokuma?_

Aggravated, he busies himself with shuffling through his pockets and slamming the pill bottles on his desk, one after another, until something clattered against the floor. Matsuda paused, staring down at the Usami charm before plucking it back up. He presses its tummy again. It makes an ugly chirp.

“...tch.”

He shoves it into the drawer with the other unsightly files, slamming it shut.

“Worthless.”

* * *

He pretty much passed out the second he hit the bed. It was so comfortable, it was despicable, and when he woke up, he felt so gross that he took a long bath, not bothering to fully dry himself off before getting dressed. Who even fucking cared about wet hair outside when there was a murder bear on the loose? He sure as hell didn’t. All the same, he didn’t feel much better when cleaner.

He had checked the new rules, and they were as expected. Monokuma had explained the whole trial aspect after Usami had been blasted. Some rules remained the same. No destruction of property, and of course, the only violence now prohibited was that against the ‘Headmaster’. Also unsurprisingly, a rule had been added that Monokuma could add any others in the future if he so wished.

_When I had warned that the situation could change, I honestly wasn’t expecting it to happen this fucking soon. God dammit why the **hell** didn’t I keep my mouth shut?_

Well. It’s not like it was his fault that a homicidal bear turned out to be part of the equation.

_Headmaster... So Hope’s Peak is really behind this...? But that—makes no fucking sense._

He notes the camera, biting his lip as he does.

_It’s entirely possible this whole thing is being filmed for an outside party. People who can see how we act when put in this situation. But, even so, a game in which we’re encouraged to murder each other is so fucking extreme._

He can’t imagine how it’d benefit Hope’s Peak at all if their students turned against each other for the lofty goal of escape. Perhaps Hope’s Peak had been taken over by a malicious force, then? Someone who likely had a fucking bone to pick with Hope’s Peak.

Well, shit, it could be fucking _anyone_ , then, considering how many enemies that snobby fucking school likely made from getting so big it shaped society itself. There were _plenty_ of people who’d be understandably bitter about that shit.

_I’m not going to find out by theorizing alone._

Which meant he had to go outside.

_Gross. Urgh._

He took a couple of pill bottles with him, sighing as he did.

_On a scale of one to Mom’s fucking death when I was six, let’s at least aim for a seven._

* * *

Just in case he had any doubts that today was going to suck, he’s greeted to the sound of idiots screaming the second he walks out the door. Making the most intelligent decision he likely ever made in the last couple of months, he sneaks around the back to avoid them.

_There’s something I have to see for myself._

At one of the blocked off bridges, there stood a hunkering Monobeast, digging its hoof into the dirt and on clear guard. A far more effective deterrent than whatever Usami had up.

_So Monokuma doesn’t want us checking out the other islands either. A common concern with Usami. That’s not fucking suspicious or anything._

Matsuda grimaced, heading for the first island.

_There might be something weird about the statue where the Monobeasts used to be—_

“Matsuda.”

Before he had even reached the bridge, he jumped at the sudden call of his voice.

“At least make fucking noises when you approach someone!” he shouted, turning on his heel.

“I did,” Pekoyama responded calmly. “I called your name.”

Matsuda pinched the bridge of his nose, grumbling.

_God, I’m not in the mood for this. But..._

“Right,” he sighs. “Let me guess. The others are having a meeting, huh. You must have been assigned to look for any stragglers.”

“That is...” Pekoyama paused. “Correct. If you understand, then come quickly to the restaurant.”

“Urgh.” _I really don’t want to, but that would just cause me problems down the line._ “Alright.” _That said._ “How are the others holding up? You seem like someone with a sharp eye, so have you noticed anything particular?”

Pekoyama blinked a few times.

“...particular, meaning...?”

“Suspicious,” Matsuda said. “Like someone acting in a way you wouldn’t expect them to in a situation like this. Or just acting in a way that’s just plain _off_.”

“I have not,” Pekoyama replied. “But, truthfully speaking, I have not been paying that much attention to the others as I...should likely be.”

“Yeah, this is a situation where you more worry about yourself,” Matsuda muttered.

Pekoyama was quiet. In a way that was just plain _off_.

_I get the feeling she wasn’t actually worried that much about herself. But I don’t get the feeling that I should be suspicious of her intentions. Even though something about her definitely rubs me the wrong way..._

Matsuda scratched his scalp.

“If that is all, then I shall be on my way,” Pekoyama said, giving a quick bow. “I will see you at the restaurant.”

“Yeah... I’ll shamble on over there... Just let me check on one quick thing before I do.”

_I can’t afford too many distractions right now._

* * *

Just in case he had any remaining doubts that today was going to suck, the first thing he was greeted to when he opened the door was shrill wailing and a fucking ass waving around in the air. Tsumiki was sobbing, her ankles somehow tied up with cables as she flailed. Their useless fucking classmates, including a few especially _fucking **worthless**_ perverts, were only gawking.

“I-I can’t...” Tsumiki’s lips were quivering as she flailed. “I can’t get up...!”

“Oh for fuck’s sake, _yes_ you can,” Matsuda snapped. “Use your arms.”

“I-I can’t reach...!” Tsumiki wails louder. “Please don’t look at me!!! I-I’m just...so ashamed...!”

_We don’t have time for this._

“Push yourself to a sitting position and _then_ undo the cords. Someone else can help you with the second part if you need it.” Matsuda noticed Hanamura inch closer and hissed. “Not _you_. Bitch with the camera, whatever your name is, you do it.”

“What did you just call me?!”

“Oh, right. Koizumi. _Koizumi_ , you do it.”

Koizumi did glare at him, but with Tsumiki sniffling, she was quickly distracted. She helped Tsumiki sit up, careful as she undid the cords.

“How did you even manage to fall like this, Mikan-chan...?”

“U-Uu...”

 _That’s definitely someone to be careful around,_ Matsuda thought. _But, again, we don’t have fucking time for this._

“You were quite late,” Togami huffed with a mouthful of chicken. He wasn’t the only one shoveling his face in with the food laid out on the table. There was a _lot_ of food. “Do you have an explanation, Matsuda Yasuke?”

_Look at all that fruit... How long has it been since I had watermelon? Too bad I’d have to cut it myself. Not worth the effort... Still..._

“No, but I have a question of if that food is safe to eat.” Matsuda casted a glance in Hanamura’s direction. “Did that _guy_ have a hand in it?”

“No,” Togami replied. “It was just here. Now as for whether it’s safe to eat...”

“It should be fine,” Matsuda says, plucking off a few pieces for himself. “At least, I’m much more willing to take my chances with it now.”

“...what was that?” Hanamura asked. “I must be mistaken by what I heard, for you see, Matsuda-kun, my cooking is simply divine! Far more delicious than...!”

Matsuda waved his hand.

“Hey. Did I give you permission to talk to me? If not, fucking shut the hell up.”

“Ahaha... My, my... You’re so lucky you’re cute, Matsuda-kun...”

“Stop talking to me.”

Hanamura sighed heavily, combing through his hair.

“Goodness...”

“Thing is,” Matsuda goes on, ignoring him. “If that creep didn’t make it, then was this prepared by that bear thing? Can’t plan murder on an empty stomach? Urgh.”

“I’ve checked it thoroughly for poison,” Togami says through a mouthful of food. “However, on that note, unfortunate as it is to disturb breakfast, we should begin our meeting now that you are here, Matsuda.”

He wipes off his mouth, and Matsuda looks around. Even now, a lot of them look just as exhausted and weary as they did last night, perhaps even more so. There were some strained smiles, and it wasn’t surprising. Matsuda doubted that most of them slept particularly well.

_I probably only knocked out because of the pills._

Koizumi and Mioda were busying themselves checking over a giggling Tsumiki. Some of them were still eating such as Owari and Tanaka’s hamsters. Hinata looked pale, and he only twitched when Komaeda tried to reassure him.

“There is something I would like to discuss with all of you,” Togami says, lowly and setting his finished plate aside. “However, there is also something you should all see.”

“Oh,” Matsuda inhaled. “You mean that weird thing in the park, where the statue used to be.”

“So you’ve seen it as well.”

“That’s why I took so long,” Matsuda said. “That and a general disinterest in being around you people.”

“That second part was unnecessary,” Hinata griped at him.

“Still,” Komaeda said, clapping his hands. “So proactive, Matsuda-kun! You really are an Ultimate!”

“It’s _basic fucking logic_ to try and look around for clues."

“Like in a mystery game,” Nanami mused.

Matsuda rolled his eyes.

_Comparing this situation to a game just feels like a shitty joke, but what can I even expect from the fucking space cadet?_

“Wait,” Sonia says. “What, exactly, did you _see_ , Matsuda-san?”

Now he was getting a bunch of expectant looks. Gross. So gross.

_God, how have you idiots even survived for this long?_

“We should all go there,” Togami said, cutting in. “That way, everyone can take a look for themselves.”

There was a low whine from somewhere, probably Souda, but at least here, there seemed to be a general agreement.

_Hmph._

* * *

The bear-shaped contraption loomed overhead, a fucking eyesore of black against the vibrant blues and greens. It was still beeping with each digit counting down.

_21 Days Left. Until what?_

“This was not here last night,” Togami said intelligently. “But when I had done my patrol this morning...”

“Here it was,” Matsuda huffed. “It’s counting down.”

“You mean it’s a _bomb_?!” Souda shrieked.

“Well, I wouldn’t know that,” Matsuda said, pointing at him. “So why don’t _you_ check for us, Mister Mechanic Guy?”

“A-Are you nuts?! It could be seriously dangerous! W-Working with bombs is...!” Souda flailed. “No! Just—just no, no, no!”

“If destroying the island was the motivation, then why wait?” Togami asked.

“Well, it could work as motivation to escape,” Matsuda pointed out, to which Souda went deathly pale. “Buuuut it could also just be a timer. Maybe this isn’t the first time that freaky bear fuck set this up. Maybe it’s trying to break its record. We wouldn’t know unless someone, preferably the _Ultimate Fucking Mechanic_ , checks it out and makes sure.”

“I-I TOLD YOU I’M NOT DOING IT!!!!”

“You might as well, Souda-nii,” Saionji said cheerfully. “Don’t you know? Huge cowards like you are usually the first ones to die.”

“H-Hey!”

“She’s right,” Matsuda said. “So might as well make yourself useful now so that we mourn you later.”

Souda started sobbing.

“Mm... Well.” Sonia speaks up. “As helpful as it would be to know for sure, it would be unfortunate if something befell Souda-san while he checked, correct? Monokuma could act, for instance. So it is rather risky.”

Somehow, that made Souda cry harder but Matsuda wondered if those were really tears of misery.

“Still,” Owari said. “I would like to know what, exactly the timer is for, be it a bomb or something else?”

“It really is quite strange, huh, huh...” someone replied, a certain someone—or some _thing_ with a gratingly high-pitched voice.

“...”

“Oh, but what are you all doing here anyway, my precious students?”

“...”

Sonia screamed, and the stuffed rabbit screamed, too.

“W-Weren’t you like super ultra-mega dead?!” Mioda shrieked. “Kazuichi-chan even dug through your insides!”

“D-Don’t remind me!” Souda wailed. “Is she here to curse me?! AM I GOING TO BE CURSED?!”

“An undead being, risen from the very underworld!” Tanaka exclaims. “No fear, because I, overlord of the Ice Kingdom, shall train thee!”

“That’s a little inappropriate, considering I’m your teacher,” the rabbit says, before gasping. “Ohhh! Were you all worried that I died?!” She giggles. “Teehee! There was no need! Sensei would never leave you and sensei can’t ever die!”

“Well,” Matsuda said lowly. “You can’t really kill something that isn’t alive, I suppose.”

“Although you still have that appearance,” Nanami says, gesturing to the ugly coloring and diaper.

“U-Uu...” She sniffles. “Monokuma changed me so thoroughly... N-Now I really am Monomi... That’s so awful...”

_Monokuma...and Monomi..._

“Well, I guess it makes sense that there’d be spares,” Souda said. “Can’t exactly expect to get everything done with one little stuffed animal.”

“Spares... I don’t like the sound of that...” Monomi sniffles again, but she perks up at Matsuda’s gleaming stare. “E-Eh, um... M-Matsuda-kun... What’s... What’s with that look?”

“As long as there’s spares, then it’s fine,” Matsuda says. “Oi, Mechanic, earlier you said that because of how damaged her remains were, anything you could find would likely be unusable, right?”

“Do you even remember my name?!” Souda exclaimed. “And y-yeah, so what...?! What of it?!”

“We have an undamaged model right here,” Matsuda said, to which Monomi froze. “So, let’s cut her open and find what we can use.”

“H-Huh?!” Souda stammered. “W-Wait... Wait, _seriously_?!”

“It’s not like she’s _alive_ , right?” Matsuda pointed out. “And she has spares, so it’s fine, _right_?”

“Oh, my!” Sonia gasped. “That is...”

“Wait, no!” Monomi hurriedly exclaimed once Matsuda pulled out his scalpel. “W-While I don’t feel like a human, I still feel with my maiden heart! A-And I swear! You won’t find anything but fluff!”

“We won’t know for sure unless we check,” Matsuda said. “And we might as well check.”

“P-Please no...” Monomi shivered. “Um, um, Matsuda-kun, as much as I appreciate your resourcefulness and as much as it warms Sensei’s heart to see you take on a proactive role, um... P-Please...have mercy... E-Even if I failed to protect everyone, I can still do my best to help you.”

“Alright,” Matsuda said. Monomi beamed until he added, flashing the scalpel at her. “Then stay still and don’t scream. It’ll be distracting.”

“N- _NOOOOOOO_!”

“Someone hold her down.” A pause. “Oi, red meat bimbo chick, I’ll give you the box of snacks in my cottage if you help.”

“W-WAIT, PLEASE...!”

“HOO-HAH!”

Monomi screeched as Owari dive bombed her. She quickly leapt out of the way.

“Oh no, no, no, no, no!”

“Get back here!” Owari exclaimed, drooling all the while. “I’m _hungry_!”

“Noooooo!”

“W-We have to fight back somehow!” Souda exclaimed, trying to tackle Monomi as well. “I-I don’t like this either, but what choice do we have?!”

Monomi dodges him, yelping as she does.

“GET BACK HERE!” Nidai roared.

“ _NOOOOOOO_!”

“YAAAAA! I’M GONNA GET’CHA MONOMI-CHAN!” Mioda squealed, clearly having more fun with this than she should’ve been. Saionji too, was laughing, but like hell if she’d help. Hinata stood there as if unsure of what he was watching.

As Kuzuryuu clicked his tongue, there was a flash of silver and Pekoyama had a squirming, flailing Monomi her arms.

“No, no, no, no, no!!” Monomi shook her head fervently as if being closed in by wolves. With the gleam of the scalpel, reflecting her terrified face, that wasn’t an inaccurate comparison. “W-Wait...! W-Wait, um... U-Um...! P-Please, no... _Um_...!”

“ _Ummm_...” Nanami drones. “Do you think Monokuma would allow this?”

“Hah?” Matsuda does pause, making a face at that. “You seriously think he’d give a shit?”

“Oh riiiiight, Monomi’s his little sister, huh?” Saionji asked. “A victim exclusive!”

“H-Huat?! I-I’m not...!” Monomi stops herself, whining. “But... U-Uuu... Um... I-I...”

“There’s not any rules protecting her,” Matsuda retorted, and then he thought about it. “Unless, because Monomi is the little sister, she’d fall under the category of ‘property’.”

“T-To be considered property by one’s own family...that’s so cruel...” Monomi sniffles, weeping a little. “So horrible... I-I’ll do anything to drive him away from this island...!”

“Should I release her, then?” Pekoyama asks, except she gives Monomi a squeeze, earning a small shriek.

_Oi, are you **enjoying** this?_

Matsuda shook his head, twirling around the scalpel. “Personally, I _do_ think that we should cut her open to see what we find.”

“H-Huuuue...!”

“B-But Monokuma could blast us next for disobeying the rules,” Souda pointed out hurriedly, trembling. “A-And I wouldn’t be able to find anything because I’d be dead...!”

“Yeah,” Matsuda sighs. “That _would_ be a problem if you died before doing anything remotely useful, huh, Mister Mechanic... Tragic, too...”

“You actually DON’T remember my name, do you?!”

Matsuda waved his hand.

“Well, whatever,” he said, crossing his arms as Souda fumed. “Urgh. Buzzkill. You keep finding new ways to disappoint me.”

“A-Awawawa...” Monomi seemed crestfallen at this. “Uuu...”

“Should I release her, then?” Pekoyama asked, squeezing her again and earning yet another yelp.

“Before you do, let me ask you something, Monomi,” Togami said before gesturing back to the contraption. “Do you have any idea what that is?”

Monomi blinked up at it several times, and shook her head.

“No, no. No idea.”

“Is that true?” Komaeda asked. “Do you really not know at all?”

“Um... Sorry... U-Uu... Because Monokuma broke my magical stick and took over... I-I have no idea what’s going on or what he’s planning...besides something really, really bad.” Her ears drooped. “Sorry... B-But! Even without my stick, I’ll do my best...! Let’s put our heads together, everyone!”

“If you really don’t know anything, then there’s not much if anything you can do,” Togami said, hmphing. “You might as well just leave us be.”

“Heh?” Monomi shivered. “But... Um... Eighteen is...better than...”

“Leave.” A pause. “That means you should release her, Pekoyama.”

Pekoyama nods and drops Monomi, allowing her to plop onto the ground. Sniveling and wiping at her eyes, Monomi scuttled away. Matsuda watched her go, unimpressed.

“I have to admit that I feel a little sorry for her,” Sonia said, frowning. “Perhaps we treated her a bit too harshly?”

“S-Sonia-san! May I call you Sonia-san?” Before Sonia could answer, Souda rambled on. “I don’t think you should sympathize with that rabbit too strongly! For all we know, she could be in cahoots with Monokuma!”

 _Truth be told, I don’t know if I could believe that so easily. It’d be convenient, yes, but their domestic abuse act doesn’t seem terribly calculated._ Matsuda hummed, thinking it over. _However. There is one thing that’s for certain. Usami—now Monomi, is the reason that we are even on this island in the first place. Even if she hadn’t planned for Monokuma to take over, the fact of the matter is that we were vulnerable in the first place because of her. That kind of incompetency—is **unforgivable**._

So, he had little sympathy. And overall, little interest in paying her anymore mind. After all, what’s important now is—

* * *

“What’s the deal with that timer?” Kuzuryuu asked lowly. “Where the fucking hell did it come from?”

“I-It’d be impossible to install something so large just overnight, right?!” Hanamura exclaimed. “S-So that means there’s no way we’re in reality!”

 _Urgh_. Every time Hanamura spoke, he really did give Matsuda such a _headache_.

“There are other concerns, other incomprehensible events,” Togami said. “Such as how all seventeen of us ended up here in the first place.”

“We were likely drugged at some point,” Matsuda replied. “Which would explain the loss of memory, although in some cases, it was excessively so...”

“Drugged...” Tsumiki muses as Komaeda grimaces. “H-How scary...”

“D-Do you mean me?” Hinata asked.

“No dingbat, I meant that red meat bimbo— _fucking obviously I meant you_.”

“I don’t remember much, though,” Owari conceded. “Ohhh! But wait! What about my snacks, Tatsuya?!”

**_Urgh._ **

“...I’ll give them to you later. Not the whole box though since you failed to capture Monomi.”

“Awww.”

_I’ll unfortunately have to figure that out later. But for now..._

“There’s also the fact that Jabberwock is a famous resort,” Togami goes on. “However, it’s deserted. There are no staff nor tourists.”

“Void from existence and existence to void,” Tanaka muses.

“Civilization ripens and then rots, and falls,” Sonia murmurs. “The inevitable result of bureaucrats that only seek their own retention of power and crush any attempts of reformation. Such a tragic state of affairs.”

_And have you been **doing** anything about that? Wait._

“Hold on,” Matsuda spoke up. “It’s entirely possible that the islands were rented out beforehand, hence the lack of tourists. As for the staff, there’s still the closed off islands, right?”

“Or the Monobeasts massacred them,” Saionji snickered.

“That’s...” _Also possible. Shit. Except._ “Monomi is still here. So some of them could still be alive.”

“Unless her and Monokuma really are in cahoots!” Nidai bellowed. “We do not KNOW for SURE!!!”

“Guuuh, that’s too many uncertainties too many!” Mioda whined.

“So many things we cannot be certain of,” Togami muses. “So many mysteries. However, one thing is clear.”

“Someone powerful must be at the reigns,” Matsuda said. “That’s where you’re going with this. After all, _you’re_ one of the people here.”

“W-What are you saying?” Hinata asked.

“Isn’t it obvious?” He sneered. “Think about it.”

“Just the timer and Monobeasts alone, without even accounting for Monomi and Monokuma, would take a considerable level of resources and expertise,” Togami said.

“O-Oh, yeah,” Souda agreed. “Building shit like that would take a lot of time and money. You can’t just use scrap parts for...all of that... N-Not to mention all the security cameras...”

“There’s also those involved,” Matsuda said. “All of us are students of Hope’s Peak, which is easily the most influential school in the country. It’s not like we were just picked off the street in some red light district, but it’s likely that we _were_ taken from Hope’s Peak at some point. That’s not an easy job to pull off.” Before anyone could comment further, he went on. “There’s also that among us, we have the heir of a mega conglomerate, an actual fucking princess, and the future head of a huge yakuza group. These aren’t people you target unless you know damn fucking well just what the hell you’re doing. And even then, to even be able to pull it off to _this_ extent...”

“That is...quite unnatural,” Sonia said.

“It is clear that only someone of comparable power and influence as us is behind this,” Togami said.

“Or...it could be any one of us,” Kuzuryuu pointed out, eyes dangerously narrowed. “That’s also what you’re thinking, _right_ , you bastard?”

“Can’t deny it,” Matsuda said, gaze averted. “It’s a possibility.”

“H-Hold up!” Souda exclaimed. “I’ve tolerated your ridiculous demands, but doubting Sonia-san is going way too far! Just look at her! She’s a beautiful princess and the rest of you are just plebeians!”

“Extras should keep quiet,” Saionji chirped. “We already know you’re compensating for a shallow personality. Doubling down on it isn’t going to raise your nonexistent chances of survival, y’know.”

“S-Shut up! At this rate you’re going to traumatize me for life!”

“Oi, Matsuda,” Hinata is looking at him warily, tense around the shoulders. “Do you really suspect them...?”

“I just said it was a possibility,” Matsuda replied. “But no, I don’t actually suspect them.”

“But, they are powerful groups...” Hinata hesitated. “So, it’s... It’s pretty possible...”

“But then, why be present? Why pretend to play along?” Matsuda glanced over them, eyes cold. “It’s sneaky and underhanded, unbefitting of the proud Kuzuryuu or Togami family. And putting one of their royal members at risk just doesn’t seem like something a country would consider. Like I said, it’s a _possibility_ , but it’s _unlikely_.”

“Oh...” Hinata falters even more somehow. “I guess that’s true...”

“Only a specific kind of person would pull off something this twisted and bizarre,” Matsuda said. “Rather than just throwing out speculations, we need to investigate further and gather more information.”

“In times like these,” Togami says lowly. “What is most important is that we remain unified in spite of Monokuma’s efforts.”

“That’s right!” Komaeda exclaimed. “With Ultimates working together, there’s nothing we can’t do! We won’t lose to despair, and we’ll definitely, definitely escape! Right?”

“Pffft.” Saionji snorted. “Shouldn’t you be more embarrassed about saying something sooooo cheesy?”

Komaeda laughs, waving his hands.

“Well, I, um, I do mean what I say, so...”

 _It’s easier said than done,_ Matsuda can’t help but think. _Although, knowing this particular idiot, he probably does really mean it. Still how are we supposed to work together, actually? People like this get distracted so fucking easily. **Someone** would have to take charge—_

Oh.

 _Duh_.

From that smug, self-assured grin on Togami’s face, he should’ve fucking known.

“To work together effectively, what we need is a leader.” Togami stands up tall, puffing out his chest. “And of course I, Togami Byakuya, will take on that role!”

_As if it’d be anyone else._

“W-Wait!” Koizumi bursts out. “That’s a pretty sudden declaration! We didn’t agree to this!”

“Aren’t _you_ the one always babbling about how men should step up and try to protect others?” Matsuda snapped immediately. “Which fucking is it?”

“I said men should be reliable, not pushy!” Koizumi argued back. “And that attitude is just too aggressive!”

“Koizumi-san, please wait,” Komaeda pleaded, raising his hands pacifyingly. “While Togami-kun is aggressive, considering the circumstances and what we’re up against, we probably _need_ someone aggressive to unite and lead us.”

“That and there is no one more fitting,” Togami said. “I was born to lead.”

“Sonia-chan could also apply, then,” Koizumi snapped, but Sonia shook her head.

“Oh, no, no, I am more of a figurehead than a leader. Apologies.” She smiles pleasantly. “That, and to step forward and to seize this role displays a drive I find admirable and ideal for any leader.”

Koizumi frowns, hesitating. Matsuda would have said something harsh, but she then shook her head, smiling in return.

“Alright. If everyone really is alright with this.”

“Then, it’s decided,” Togami said, folding his arms. “As your leader, there will not be a single victim. That I _promise_.”

_Promise, huh?_

“New leader!!” Mioda exclaimed with delight. “Kyaaaaa! We’re saved!!!”

_Well, if there’s anyone to follow... I guess this guy is our best bet after all._

Saionji jeers as always, but Togami hardly seems bothered by it. Komaeda really is beaming. Actually, Komaeda looks—really ecstatic.

“Let us concentrate on what we can do for now,” Togami says firmly. “Observe and understand to the best of our abilities, and if not, then just move forward. Follow my lead. That is an order.”

Squeals from Mioda and Saionji—but the others largely seemed content to follow suit.

“Yeah! Let’s do it!” Owari paused. “What are we doing?”

“Searching for hints or clues about our situation or the mastermind’s identity,” Koizumi supplied as Nidai laughed loudly.

“Entrust everything to the devas!” Tanaka boomed as the hamsters seemed to—flex? Or whoop? Or bounce? “Their malleability grants passage to even the most imperceptible!”

“Ooh! They’re adorable!” Sonia exclaimed, utterly charmed to Souda’s chagrin. “So cute!”

_I wonder if they’re smarter than the average lab rodent..._

He almost wanted to study them himself but he shook his head for now, simply taking in how the atmosphere had lifted, how everyone was far more optimistic than before. Even uselessly uncertain Hinata seemed in a better mood, although he was still blatantly insecure with how his head ducked, his gaze low.

Some of them were already moving out on Togami’s orders, but Hinata remained rigid. Just as Matsuda had opened his mouth, Komaeda was already there, patting Hinata’s shoulder.

“Matsuda.”

Matsuda would’ve had to pause anyway, and he turned to Togami.

“May I speak with you for a moment?”

Matsuda’s gaze flickers.

Hinata giving Komaeda a tired smile, Hinata following after Komaeda, the two carrying an easier air, Hinata even laughing a little.

_It’s whatever._

“It’s whatever,” he said aloud.

Togami’s gaze is a seriously one, but there’s a peculiar glimmer in his eye.

“Right. This way.” He gestures with his chin. “Let us investigate together for now. Since we are often on the same page.”

“Mm... Kay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [No, Matsuda didn't forget to give Owari her promised snacks.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17932241/chapters/42970124)


	5. Brimming Tension, Unsure Future (We Look Towards You)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What kind of fucking idiot would play along with something like this or that? Let's clear that shit up. Right here. Right now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is so much dialogue getting cut to the point where I'm worried about the effect it's having on the characters. I'm starting to think that starting with a cast of 16-20 is not that great of an idea. But what can I do... Hhhhhh...
> 
> Anyway, here's the next part. Mostly build-up, some little bursts, but yeah y'all already know what to expect. The irony is strong in this one. You really should watch what you say, Matsun. And what you think.
> 
> And maybe what you do.
> 
> In times like these I'm sad that there's a certain someone who has to remain excluded. I wonder what they think? What are they thinking right now?
> 
> What I think is that Hinata's really cute. He's super cute. I'm sorry.
> 
> Edit: I added like an extra 2K like thirty minutes after posting this because... Because. I'm so professional.

With everyone separated, the two of them explore the park further for any extra clues. They don’t really find anything, which was predictably unsatisfying, but Togami seems to be mulling over much in his mind.

_He took on a lot of responsibility. I guess at least some of that confidence had to be an act. Well. It’s not like I care as long as he’s keeping some peace._

He finds himself looking darkly at the timer again, biting his lip.

_In this kind of ridiculously chaotic situation, it’s pretty essential, huh._

“Matsuda Yasuke.”

Matsuda perks, blinking a few time. Togami presses up his glasses. There’s an odd gleam there—something strikes Matsuda as _off_ , but it’s not something he cares too much about pondering.

“If anything troubles you,” Togami says. “Then it is imperative that you rely on me.”

Matsuda blinks again, and his face pinches.

“Yeah. No thanks.” He snorts at the very idea. “Just because I accept your leadership doesn’t mean I’m going to turn to you for personal shit. We’re just working together. We’re not _friends_.”

Togami hummed, crossing his arms.

_Besides, you’re acting a bit guarded yourself, huh? Great thing I have more fucking tact._

“You are very intelligent, Matsuda.” The words are low, rumbly. “Though your attitude certainly needs work, your mind is a polished one.”

“That’s how it should be,” Matsuda said. “I’m supposed to be a _doctor_ , after all.”

“Hmph.” Despite that sound, a smile twitches at Togami’s lips. “Such a self-assured person you are. It is a shame, then, that you are so temperamental.” He meets Matsuda’s cold stare firmly. “Still, it is undeniable that you hold a great deal of potential. For that reason, I would like to be able to turn to you in times of necessity without worry, without fear.”

_...excuse me?_

“ _You’re_ supposed to be the leader,” Matsuda snapped, irritated. “So what the _hell_?”

“No man is an island, Matsuda Yasuke,” Togami said. But Togami isn’t looking at him. Instead it’s at someplace far-off and uncertain. “Nothingness and isolation are—abnormal. If you have the wit, have the capability, then it would go to reason that there would be those that wish to rely on you.”

“That’s...their own fault.” He says it, but he feels a little sick when he does as if he’s experiencing something viscerally unpleasant. “That’s their own fucking fault for just—not feeling like they can pull shit off on their own...”

His eyes squeeze shut.

_Christ... Everything about this makes me feel fucking awful. And that I have no idea why is so, so fucking aggravating._

“If something troubles you,” Togami says. “Then you should turn to me. It is imperative. Simply because such troubles could impair your judgement, and that would be a shame.”

Matsuda’s eyes open, and he’s just looking at his feet like a fucking child. He raises his chin and crosses his arms.

“We are both the most intelligent ones here,” Togami goes on to add. “Thus, I think a close partnership of sorts is logical.”

“Sorry,” Matsuda bit out. “Not interested.”

“Hmph.” A twitch in Togami’s smile. “You really are so difficult. It is almost worrying. Still... I am not too concerned. Behavioral issues aside, I will continue to expect performances befitting that polished mind of yours.”

“Right...” _Gross. You almost sound like a teacher._ “But I’ll expect a lot from you, too. Considering what’s at stake here, this better not fucking be a situation where you’ve bitten off more than you can chew.”

“Worry not about that,” Togami said. “I will play my role to the best of my ability.”

_...there’s something about that. What he just said. Those words. The underlying meaning. But I already decided that such things wouldn’t involve me._

He trusted his gut feelings, but he knew when such things would only get in the way of more crucial moments. Such was the situation now, he was sure of it.

_Of course, I know that I can’t believe people are who they say they are, especially not here, not like this, but... All the same..._

For his own sake, and for the sake of everything else, he’ll still go along with it.

_If this guy is willing to push it this far, then I should respect that, at least._

“...we should keep searching. To see if there’s anything left to find.”

Neither of them are really looking at the other, but the unspoken understanding in the air was potent nevertheless.

“Right.”

* * *

Unsurprisingly, things went wrong pretty quickly.

“It doesn’t matter to me if you dipshits want to work together, but leave me the hell out of it.”

Matsuda isn’t surprised at all.

“Even if you say that,” Koizumi huffs. “You shouldn’t just disappear. It’ll make people worry.”

“Heeeh? That’s such a shitty joke.” Kuzuryuu shook his head. “Like hell I’d even want to concern myself with eyesores like you.”

Matsuda rolled his eyes.

“Do we _really_ have the time for a temper tantrum?”

“...what did you just fucking say.” Kuzuryuu straightened up, glaring at him dangerously. “That’s fucking rich coming from you.”

“Which is why I’m the one saying it,” Matsuda replied coolly. “This isn’t the time or place for that shit.”

Kuzuryuu snorted, and then he sneered.

“Even the fucking brainiac doesn’t seem to get it, so let me make this clear.” His chin raises. “As far as I’m concerned, Monokuma’s killing game is more my style than Monomi’s friendship farce. From where I come from, it’s kill or be killed.”

“...and?” Matsuda barely raised an eyebrow. “ _Soooo_?”

“I’m _saying_!” Kuzuryuu’s teeth gritted before splitting into a grin. “I have no problems killing _anyone_ if I have to.”

The effect of those words is immediate and expected. There’s a chill in the air, a sense of anxiety and solemnity and Kuzuryuu really does look like a little kid who won an argument.

_It’s..._

“Woooow,” he droned. “You’re a _lot_ fucking stupider than I feared.”

Things went worse even more quickly.

Before Matsuda could even blink, Kuzuryuu had lurched forward, seizing up his shirt collar. It causes his lab coat to slip further down his shoulder, and Kuzuryuu’s grip is so tight that it probably hurt both of them. Someone shouts, and Nidai has an arm between them with Pekoyama’s hands on Kuzuryuu’s shoulders, clearly to hold him back, but not to pull him off.

“K-Kuzuryuu-kun!” Komaeda exclaimed. “Wait... Please, just a moment...”

Togami hushed him, clearly intent on observing this further and Matsuda could understand that, actually. Because with the twisted up face Kuzuryuu was making, it was clear there was more to discuss.

“You...” Kuzuryuu growls. “Do you _want_ to fucking die, asshole?”

Whether it would be a _worthwhile_ discussion was yet to be seen.

“Shouldn’t I be asking the same?” Matsuda retorts. “Since the fucking yakuza so _desperate_ to compensate doesn’t seem to understand, I guess I should explain it.”

“Why _you_ —!”

“You know that this is all just a _game_ , right?” Matsuda asked, cutting him off. “It’s a sadistic, twisted little game, designed to make its participants turn on each other and to suspect one another. There’s no power struggle, no seizing of control on either side, there’s just us, all equally susceptible regardless of background, and one fuckhead at the reins.”

He wonders, idly, if Kuzuryuu can feel his heartbeat or his blood thrumming. He hears the pounding, the ringing, and he wonders if it’s really just him.

“Acting tough isn’t going to protect you,” he tells Kuzuryuu. “It’s just going to paint a target on your back. Because. We’re _all_ being pushed to kill one another if we have to. You’re not fucking special just for saying you’d do it. Do you really think that’ll scare us off? Why don’t you consider that this might drive someone to kill you, because they’ll feel even more that they _have_ to? Or do you _want_ to die?”

Kuzuryuu’s hands were shaking.

“Y-You...”

“And, let’s look at it a different way,” Matsuda goes on quietly. “Say you do kill someone. What then? You’ll have to hide it. You’ll have to get away with it, when we all already suspect you so much. And if you can’t do that, you will get executed. You _will_ die. Is that what you want? I really should be the one asking—do you _want_ to fucking die? If you want to kill yourself so badly, just a good fucking stab in the gut should be enough, _I_ would think.”

“ _You_...”

Just as Kuzuryuu seems to be losing his fire, Togami speaks up.

“No one will die.” His tone leaves no room for argument. “Not Matsuda, nor Kuzuryuu.”

Pekoyama manages to yank him away from Matsuda, although Kuzuryuu harshly shoves her off of him immediately after. Matsuda rubs idly at his neck while Komaeda and Hinata flutter around worriedly, Nidai glancing between him and Kuzuryuu tensely.

“As long as I am in charge, there will not be any victims,” Togami said, even more firmly than before. Matsuda’s gaze flickers towards him, at that projected confidence and certainty. “As Togami Byakuya, I will not allow a single one of you to die. As Togami Byakuya, I can and _will_ ensure it.”

Kuzuryuu scoffs, but—just like that, things are calm again. Tension still remains, and Matsuda is irritated with the new wrinkles in his shirt collar, but Kuzuryuu, despite stubbornly refusing to look at any of them, is quiet and pacified. Mioda and Hanamura are fawning over Togami, and Komaeda is giving Matsuda a strained but relieved smile.

“Togami-kun really is a wonderful leader,” he chirps. “He’s _amazing_.”

“Oi, Matsuda,” Hinata says, still clearly troubled. “Just what the hell were you thinking?”

“You really do have quite the fire!” Nidai exclaimed, because he was suddenly part of this conversation now for some reason. “Although I had been concerned about how far Kuzuryuu’s foolishness was going to take him.”

Koizumi and Pekoyama were both warily eyeing Kuzuryuu, as if he could lash out again in a moment’s notice. Owari, too, although she seemed disturbingly eager at the idea.

“I was just clearing shit up,” Matsuda muttered before looking upwards. It was getting late—the night announcement would be on them soon. Kuzuryuu really gave them such an _annoying_ runaround. “It’s imperative that we all understand just what kind of situation we’re in. It would be bad if someone freaked out and lashed out with a fatal result, right?”

“S-Still!” Hinata nearly stammered. “Be more careful! Don’t just antagonize the yakuza!”

“If Togami-kun had not been here,” Komaeda said more seriously. “That, too, could have lead to disastrously fatal results.”

“...”

_Actually... I don’t think that kid would’ve had the guts. All bark, no real bite._

“Please be more careful, Matsuda-kun,” Komaeda said, eyes glimmering.

“...pfffft.” _Don’t look so serious. Geez. I’m not the kind of person to just risk my life so recklessly. Shouldn’t you have more faith in me? Fucking hell... Why am I so irritated by this...?_ “Whatever.”

“S-Still!” A sudden, high-pitched squeak. “It’s good to talk things out! I-I’m really glad that turned out well!”

“...”

Matsuda groaned. Souda shrieked. Monomi shrieked right back.

“W-Why the hell are you here?!” Hinata demanded. “Were you _spying_ on us?!”

“Oh, no! No, no, no!” Monomi shook her head furiously. “It’s just...! I-It’s dangerous for you all to be out here so late...! So as your loving teacher, I decided to check up on you... I was worried...”

“If that’s all, then you can leave,” Togami snapped. “You clearly have nothing substantial to provide.”

“U-Uu...” Monomi flinched, and pulled down on her ears. “I just want to help... But... I’m glad. You all seem to be doing well... I-I’m very glad!” She says that, and she’s definitely crying a little. “S-Sensei is just...so proud!”

“And Iiiiiii’m so _boooooored_.”

**_Shit._ **

Monokuma yawns, lounging on one of the palmtrees, in a place Matsuda was damn sure he hadn’t been before, scratching his ass as he did.

Now everyone really _was_ on edge.

“I was getting pretty excited, too,” Monokuma said, observing his claws with a hum. “I was thinking, wowie! I might not even need to push you guys! But then, fshhhhh. Fizzled. That’s so despairingly _boooooring_.”

“T... T-That’s because they’re not going to lose to you!” Monomi exclaimed. “They won’t fall for your, y-your evil, evil game!”

Monokuma chortled at that.

“Heeeh? Little sister, you’re really asking for a pounding, huh? Haaaah. It’s funny, though, really, really funny that you’re the one saying this, when you’re the one who made this so _easy_ for me.”

“E-Excuse me...?!”

“You’re excused, Monomi!”

“No,” Togami said. “What are you _implying_ , exactly?”

“Is it just because Monomi’s the one who brought us here?” Matsuda asked, although he had a feeling. A really fucked up feeling there was more to it than that.

_And it turned out—_

“You weren’t drugged,” Monokuma chirped. “Your memories were very deliberately, very calculatedly erased, courtesy of Monomi.”

Monokuma bounces to his feet, whereas the rest of them are dead still, save for those casting wide-eyed glances to a rigid Monomi.

“Your memories all have this one commonality, right? That of when you walked through the gate of Hope’s Peak, you were hit with a sudden dizziness. Isn’t that too convenient? Isn’t that _too_ coincidental?” Monokuma sing-songs. “That’s right! It was all planned! By that malicious, stinky Monomi!”

**_What?_ **

“N-No!” Monomi gasped. “I-I... Stop! Please! I didn’t...!”

Monokuma knocks her out before she can finish.

“But I’m a much more honorable bear than Monomi, who isn’t even a bear,” he says, and raises his paws. “That’s right! I can return your memories! I’ll do so happily, in fact!”

“But there’s a catch, right?” Nanami hums, to which Monokuma nods happily.

“Yep! Yep! Just _k-i-l-l_ someone!”

“T... T-That’s still so wrong!” Tsumiki exclaimed.

“Even if there is credence in your words, that is no excuse for murder!” Sonia shouted.

“We refuse,” Togami said, but his teeth are gritted. “We will not fall for such _ridiculous_ antagonisms.”

“It’s not ridiculous!” Monokuma exclaims, feigning offense at the very thought. “It’s a very reasonable motivation! Just think about it—you don’t really know how many years it’s been. What’s happened since. To friends, family...”

_...not to mention..._

“There were also only sixteen students in your class when you enrolled.”

Matsuda snapped up.

“Didn’t you think it was weird that there were seventeen students and only sixteen desks?” Monokuma asks before clicking several times, somehow, in disapproval at Monomi’s shuddering body. “Geez, geez, Monomi, couldn’t you have made it less obvious that there was a _traitor_ among them?”

_Monokuma knows about that. So.... Have they really been working together from the start? How long—has he been here?_

“N-No...!” Monomi pushed herself up. “Stop it! You’re just trying to confuse them! You’re the villain!”

“So am I wrong, then?” Monokuma asked, turning on her. “Are you going to say I’m lying when I’m not?”

“I...” Under everyone’s stares, Monomi shrinks, but she quickly claims, “I-I’m on your side, everyone...! D-Despite what Monokuma says...”

“So what he said _was_ true,” Komaeda remarked, quieter than ever before. Monomi flinched, looking panicked.

“I-I won’t believe it,” Hanamura whispered. He looked considerably ill. “I refuse... I-It’s impossible... It’s...”

“I-If Monomi’s really in on it...and there’s really a traitor...” Tsumiki looked around them wildly. “Then—wh-who else? W-Who else?!”

“D-Don’t look at me!” Koizumi exclaimed. “I have nothing to do with any of this!”

“S-Such cowardly deceptions have nothing to do with I, either!” Tanaka hurriedly yelled.

“It’s impossible!” Nidai shouted. “What Monokuma said is IMPOSSIBLE!”

“But, but,” Monokuma says. “You’ve _bared_ witness to quite a few impossible things today. What’s a little purposeful memory wipe compared to all that? Upupupu...”

Matsuda found his hands curled into fists.

“...hey, Monomi. Is it true or not?” He turns back to her, and just his glare is enough to have her cowering. “You just have to deny it outright. Is it true or _not_?”

“U-Um... Um... M-Matsuda-kun...” She pleads. “I... I-I swear I... I-It’s not what you all think...”

“Stop _deflecting_ , you bitch.”

Monomi jumped, and she was silent. Dead silent. Silence that was resounding, until Monokuma laughed.

“Well, my work is done! Motive delivered! Suspicion sowed! All in a day’s work!” With one last smack at Monomi, he cheerily giggled at all of them. “You all _beeeetter_ act quickly! If you wanna leave or learn the truth, that is!”

Just like that, he was gone. Monomi still remained, but it was only for a moment. Before anymore could be said, and Matsuda had plenty more to give, she quickly fled, apologizing all the while.

“I’m sorry! So sorry! B-But, um, what’s important is the future! Just keep facing the future!”

Aaaaand gone. Just like that.

“Useless.” And with sudden, vicious force, Matsuda wanted so badly to fucking hit something. “Fucking _useless_!”

“H-He was lying!” Souda exclaimed. “He was definitely lying! T-There’s no way any of that was true!”

“I-I can’t...comprehend any of it...” Mioda gargles. “It’s just too much.... T-Too much...!”

“He’s just fucking playing with us,” Kuzuryuu seethed. “He just fucking thinks that he can make us believe whatever bullshit he spouts...!”

There’s muted murmurs of agreement. It’s not as unified as before and the reason was obvious.

“It clearly is a ploy,” Togami said, but his fingers are digging tightly into his arm. “Memory loss, a traitor—such ridiculous fabrications should not even be considered.”

Matsuda nearly bit his tongue hard enough to bleed.

_Whether or not it’s just a means to manipulate—fact of the matter is that Monomi couldn’t just fucking say it wasn’t true. That she didn’t do it. That’s reason enough to believe that she did._

His nails bite into his palm as his fists shake.

_That bitch... That fucking bitch... Playing with a person’s memories like that—just who the fuck does she think she is?! What fucking excuse would she have?!_

“It is not _worth_ thinking about.” Togami’s voice was louder and more compelling than before. “For now...” He sighs. “For now...”

“Um.” Nanami chews on her lip. “What...should we do for now?”

“We should return to our cottages,” he says, and for what it’s worth, he doesn’t sound exhausted despite this beyond exhausting situation. “It is late. We should clear our heads with a good night’s sleep.”

“Y-Yes, we very much should,” Sonia agreed. “The cat has escaped to the frying pan, courtesy of Monokuma.”

“That...doesn’t make any sense,” Hinata said.

“G-Give her a break,” Souda snapped, though it wasn’t with any real potency.

“Good _night_ , everyone,” Togami said, finished. Just like that.

Just like that.

* * *

Obviously, he couldn’t just sleep on that. Stress aside, he was so fucking angry that he found himself still pacing about outside, when everyone else had departed into their cottages.

Well, not _everyone_ , as it turned out.

Hinata sat alone by the pool, hanging his head, looking all the more miserable under the light of several stars. Matsuda strongly, very _strongly_ considered kicking him into the water.

The closer he came, the more that consideration fizzled into an irritating buzz. And it was then that Matsuda realized just how tired and distressed he really was. But like fucking hell he’d make that kind of shit obvious to Hinata, of _all_ people.

In the end, Matsuda just nudged Hinata in the back with his foot. Hinata flinched, and upon looking up at Matsuda with those wide, anxious eyes, he didn’t relax so much as he slumped even further.

Without a word, Matsuda plops down next to him as Hinata hugs his knees. The water of the pool is shimmering. A clear, light blue that’s reflective in Matsuda’s downturned gaze.

_It’s pretty obvious...what Hinata’s thinking about right now. Out of all of us, he’s lost the most memory. He sticks out the most with his unknown talent. If there’s any traitor—he’s the most suspicious pick._

Matsuda couldn’t picture Hinata manipulating his way out of a paper bag much less anything that grandiose.

_It could be a gambit on his part. I guess. But..._

**Urgh**. It gave him such a fucking headache that he ended up just popping pills.

“...ou...o...h...”

Matsuda swallowed, expression unchanged.

“Pardon? I don’t think that was an actual language just then.”

“Even you’re nervous, huh,” Hinata muttered, still muffled but at the very least audible. “All of this—every bit of it, it’s just... I-It’s just ludicrous... A killing game? Memory loss? A _traitor_?”

His voice squeaks a little on that last word. Hinata shook his head furiously.

“I-It’s impossible, just... Just impossible.” He says that, but he gives Matsuda a desperate sort of look. “D-Don’t you think so, too? Matsuda?”

_Seriously? You’re looking towards me for validation?_

Hinata really is useless. Looking at him like that, when he should be looking at someone more like—

“Oh. You two are still up and about?”

_Speak of the devil._

“Ah... Komaeda. Uh... S-Sorry.”

“Whatever are you apologizing for?” Komaeda’s head tilts. The picture of innocence with a kind-hearted smile. He seats himself beside them, on Hinata’s opposite side. He’s cheerful as always, and Matsuda can’t help but notice that there’s sand caking his shoes, and that it’s a little damp around his calves.

_Did he decide to have his meltdown on the beach?_

Right now, Komaeda smiled like nothing was wrong at all.

_Christ. This one’s just scary._

“I’m not surprised,” Komaeda goes on serenely. “Considering the situation, it’s pretty normal to be too distraught to sleep, huh? Togami-kun said not to worry about it—but obviously we can’t just _forget_ about it.”

“Y... Yeah...” Hinata nodded distantly. “Even Matsuda’s bothered...”

“Don’t fucking talk for me,” Matsuda snapped.

“Am I wrong?” Hinata shot back. Matsuda bristled, but Hinata just huffed. “Yeah. That’s what I though. You were especially _pissed_ earlier.”

_He noticed._

Somehow, he was a little aggravated about that. But only just a little.

“It’s alright to feel that way,” Komaeda said. “We can’t all be as strong in our convictions as Togami-kun is.”

Matsuda harrumphed at that.

“It’s not a matter of convictions—I could care less about the traitor shit... _That’s_ probably something Monokuma just fucking made up.” _It’s true that the number of students is weird. But even if there is a traitor, we don’t know for sure if the traitor actually is working for Monokuma, Monomi, or if they’re just...wrapped up in this shit accidentally. It’s an obvious ploy to brew even more distrust than there already is. But..._ “The idea of someone tampering with my memories is what pisses me off to no end.”

_Seriously... Just what gave them the fucking right? There’s no way in hell I’d agree to something like this._

“I-It’s creepy,” Hinata grumbled. “To think that—we all might be missing memories of...god, who even knows for how long?”

“...it couldn’t have been that long,” Komaeda said, but his voice is low. “If it had been that significant an amount of time, there would be certain...changes, right?”

Hinata blinks a few times, and then, as expected of the useless fucking idiot, he flustered.

“I-I guess that’s true...”

_It still pisses me off,_ Matsuda thought bitterly, fuming.

Komaeda chuckled.

“We don’t know how long it’s been, if it’s true, and Monokuma is likely taking advantage of that,” he said. “As Togami-kun said, it’s still clearly a ploy.”

_That’s obvious, but..._

“Still,” Hinata hisses. “Still, it’s just...so much...all at once.”

“Hm, hm.” Komaeda hummed thoughtfully. “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever consciously engaged with challenges and struggles that come with living. I simply...lived, day to day, managing without really thinking about any of it. It’s only recently that I’ve truly begun to look forward.”

Hinata makes some complicated sounds, but Matsuda mulls over those particular words.

_Consciously. Recently._

“Just how much trauma have you _been_ through?”

Komaeda simply smiles. And before he can even answer, Matsuda snaps.

“Never mind. Fucking forget it. Geez. That was tasteless even for me.”

Komaeda giggles, at that.

“I was right,” he said cheerfully. “You really do have your kinder side, Matsuda-kun.”

“Pweh. Gross. I could throw up. Right now. In this pool.”

“Please _don’t_ do that,” Hinata muttered, as Komaeda laughed.

“Sorry, sorry! Please don’t, Matsuda-kun!”

“Never fucking say anything that sickening ever again, then.”

“Aww... Matsuda-kun...” Komaeda whines but even that sound is a playful one. “Ehehe... Hehehe... You know, I’m not worried. You all aren’t just random students... You’re Ultimates. Symbols of hope, trailblazers of the future. Just being around you reassures me. While one person can’t do anything significant on their own, with all of us working together... There’s definitely nothing we can’t do.”

“Bleeergh.”

“Don’t throw up!” Hinata shrieked.

“H-Hinata-kun!” Komaeda hurriedly exclaimed. “Don’t wake anyone!”

“A-Ack!”

Hinata covers his mouth just as Matsuda does the same, albeit for different reasons.

“Aha... Haha...” Komaeda falters. “Sorry. While I do believe in everyone, I’m definitely aware of my own shortcomings... I... I’ll do my best...” His gaze is gleaming, bright, even when it’s so dark out. “I’ll do everything that I can.”

“...you could get betrayed,” Hinata mumbled through his hand. “Maybe even killed.”

“If that’s inevitable, I’d rather it happen when I believe in everyone rather than when I’m doubting them,” Komaeda says, without even missing a beat.

_...gross. So fucking gross._

And yet, Hinata’s so obviously awestruck.

“Y... Yeah... You know what... You’re right...”

“It’s easy to _say_ that,” Matsuda huffed.

“That just makes Komaeda more impressive,” Hinata shot back.

“Oh no, no, I’m really not...” Komaeda waved his hand. “It’s because I don’t really have much else going for me.”

_Not much else...?_

Even now, there was a lot about this kid that was just—fucking weird. And a little concerning.

_I feel like...I should keep a closer eye on him._

“Komaeda, you’re impressive to me,” Hinata said, and his cheeks are a little darker than they should be. “So, uh, be easier on yourself.”

“Ehe.” Komaeda does grin. “Hinata-kun, it’s getting pretty late. So you should get some rest.”

“That’s...” Hinata yawns, rubbing at his eye. “Honestly... Yeah. Sure. Thanks, Komaeda.” He gives Matsuda an unimpressed look. “Night.”

Pointedly ignoring him, Hinata waved Komaeda off before heading back in the direction of the cottages.

“You too, Matsuda-kun,” Komaeda told him kindly. “Those are some worrying shadows under your gaze.”

Matsuda runs his fingers along the bags in question.

“Nah. That’s just how my face always looks. Can’t be helped.”

Komaeda’s lips pursed.

“Still,” he said. “Sleep is important.”

“What about you?” Matsuda asked. “All that gooey crock, and you’re just gonna stay up and mull over shit? Hypocrite.”

“You shouldn’t worry about me,” Komaeda said. “Someone like you—definitely shouldn’t worry about someone like me.”

Matsuda made a face.

“Oi, oi, that coy act might win over a loser like Hinata, but I’m not fucking buying it.”

“I really have no idea what you’re saying, Matsuda-kun,” Komaeda said, and disgustingly, he sounds pretty sincere. His doe eyes are ever wide, ever innocent.

“Do you think a murder will happen?”

Komaeda’s lips are pressed tightly together. Truth be told, Matsuda’s not even sure where the hell that came from.

“...forget about it,” he grumbled. “Christ. I really am just...exhausted... The fucking situation... The fucking people... I only bothered with Hope’s Peak because I wanted to further my talent and...all this... Urgh.” Matsuda shook his head. “It’s all so _worthless_.”

“Flowers bloom more beautifully in the face of adversity,” Komaeda hummed. “Or so the saying goes.”

“Yeah that’s a lovely fucking sentiment in fiction, I guess, but real life isn’t quite so convenient.” Matsuda pinched the bridge of his nose. “Still...”

_It’s not completely hopeless. At the very fucking least... There are people willing to step up. Still... This feeling... It’s not great._

“Matsuda-kun...”

He’s so...so exhausted. He’s so fucking exhausted that he nearly topples over, but Komaeda quickly steadies him, grunting a little.

“Ah, Matsuda-kun... You really should get some sleep, huh.”

“Pffff... I fucking guess... Trying to face this shit on zero sleep is...probably gonna get me killed. That would suuuuuuck. With how far I’ve come, I can’t... I can’t afford to die here...”

Komaeda chuckles lightly, and then he helps Matsuda to his feet. Matsuda still feels dazed, as if his mind is some distant place that he can only see, but never reach.

“Hnnn...”

“I’ll help you to your cottage, Matsuda-kun,” Komaeda says, even though it’s clear he’s struggling a little to support him. “You, Hinata-kun, and everyone else—I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

“Ohhh. Don’t make us feel _too_ special...”

Komaeda just laughs that off. Matsuda’s eyes are starting to droop.

“Komaeda... Hey, Komaeda... Something about you...really definitely rubs me the wrong fucking way...”

“Aha. I’m sorry to hear that.”

“But...” Matsuda yawns. “You’re someone that I definitely...definitely should keep an eye on. So, mm, don’t act out unnecessarily or else... I’ll have to tie you to the bed...”

_...where did **that** come from? What...?_

He’s tired. Just so tired. He’s too tired to really think.

“Haha... Aha... Whatever you say, Matsuda-kun.”

It must not have mattered too much, considering the way Komaeda just laughs him off.

_Wait, no—isn’t that more reason to worry?_

He’s tired.

So tired.

His eyelids fall. Everything just stops to the gentle sounds of struggling footsteps, and Komaeda’s quickened breathing.

Eventually, he opens his eyes and he’s already in bed. His coat’s been hung up, his slippers set aside in their proper place. Everything is as it is, except he’s on some weird fucking island under duress by a weird fucking bear.

“... _urghhhh_...”

Matsuda flips himself over, burying his face into the pillow.

_What’s even worse is that I’m not the only one. Sixteen others—that’s a lot of fucking variables. Things could go in so many ways, and a lot of those ways aren’t great._

Still, Togami swore nothing would happen. And—Komaeda seemed assured that they’d succeed. Somehow.

_But say we do escape...or get rescued...or whatever... What’s waiting for us? What happened in all that time? Was it...really recent...?_

For whatever reason, the possibilities were so twisted and dark that Matsuda immediately blocked them out.

_Face the future. What a fucking joke._

He just went to sleep.

* * *

Everything on the bookshelves was shit he knew he read already, which was annoying but tolerable. It included his favorites, including one manga that he remembered being so well-worn that the spine was pretty crumbled. This copy is practically pristine, but it wouldn’t be that way for long if Matsuda had a say in it.

So he grabs it, reading as he makes his way to the restaurant, and reading as he kicks open the door and steps inside. He only looks away to pile up food onto his plate and makes a beeline for one of the unoccupied tables. There seemed to be quite a few, which likely meant that not everyone was here yet.

Matsuda doesn’t bother checking, still reading as he chews on bread.

It was weirdly quiet. There was the occasional loud footsteps and shrill greeting, but sound suffocated quickly in an atmosphere this heavy.

“Mmf.” _Not like I care. Right now Himitsuko has a bitch to cut._ “Mm.”

“Good morning, Matsuda-kun.”

Matsuda swallows his bread and has to down lemon water so that he doesn’t choke.

“Kuzuryuu-kun isn’t here, yet,” Komaeda says, like the idiot hadn’t noticed a thing. Or maybe he was pretending so that Matsuda could feel a little bit better about himself. He didn’t.

“Who cares?”

“He’s probably dead,” Saionji said, making Mioda shriek.

“He is not dead,” Pekoyama stated simply. “However he informed me that he will not be joining us. That is all.”

“That’s all,” Matsuda said, tearing once more into his bread. “Mmf. So that’s that. Who fucking cares?”

“That guy could be plotting a murder,” Souda mutters, shaking a little. “That’s what it means to be a criminal.”

“Souda-san!” Sonia reprimanded sharply, making him flinch. “You mustn’t be so quick to doubt your peers!”

_Himitsuko doesn’t fucking deserve this._

Grumbling, Matsuda turned back down to his manga. He was determined to not lose focus, and said determination was that of the Ultimate Neurologist. Like _hell_ he’d lose.

_“I won’t lose against you, Mara!” Himitsuko cries out, readying her wand. “No matter how strong your hate is, love will always win in the end!”_

 “For now, we will have to carry on without him. We have much to discuss. Someone can pass on this information to Kuzuryuu later.”

_“Love? That foolish fickle sentiment? You really are so naïve, Himitsuko. But that is part of your charm, I suppose.”_

“What are we discussing?”

_“Mara, please! I’ll give you one last chance! You don’t have to do this! I **love** you!”_

“You should all rejoice. For I, Togami Byakuya, have decided that everyone is to take part in a party this evening.”

_“What was that?!”_

“A PARTY?!”

_“I love you! I still love you! I’m sorry—I hesitated before, but—I’ve made up my mind! Even if you hate the world, and even if the rest of the world hates you, I’ll always, always love you!”_

“Matsuda Yasuke,” Togami snapped. “You _are_ paying attention, yes? When I said everyone, I did in fact mean _everyone_.”

“Are you really worried about convincing me and not the fucking midget mobster?” Matsuda shot back, irritated. “As long as the food is safe, it’s what the hell ever for me. Now back off, you snobby jawbreaker. Someone’s about to very tragically fucking die. God. Be tasteful.”

“I’ll be sure to keep it safe for work, Matsuda-kun,” Hanamura croons, to Matsuda’s immediate repulsion.

_We’ll definitely need someone watching that guy for public safety reasons._

“...what the hell are you reading?” Hinata asked warily. “Isn’t that series for kids?”

“Isn’t that _hairstyle_ for kids? What the hell is up with that purposeful antenna? You would’ve been better off donning a pair of sunglasses or goggles if you actually wanted to stand out. It doesn’t even look that good. The cutting is _uneven_ , idiot.”

“S-Shut up!” Predictably, Hinata got flustered. “I don’t need to hear that from you!”

“Idiots,” Togami huffed. “But this is part of the reason why a party is necessary.”

“Monokuma is trying to turn us on each other,” Komaeda said, placing a hand on Hinata’s shoulder to calm him down. Somehow, that worked. “In times like these, it’s important to try and strengthen our bonds as much as possible.”

“I...” Hinata’s still pretty flustered. “I guess...”

“Not gonna lie, but I fucking hate parties. They’re noisy and chaotic, but that said...” Matsuda swallows, scratching at his scalp irritably as he shuts his book. “It’s more ideal to have everyone all in one place. Right?”

“It’ll also improve the mood!” Komaeda exclaimed. “Isn’t that right, Togami-kun?”

Togami stiffened a little.

“...it is as Matsuda said.”

“Those words seem to obfuscate a meaning of greater depths,” Tanaka hummed.

“Regardless. There will be a party.” A pause. Togami turned thoughtful. “However, the restaurant is no good. We will need a location more closed off, less likely to be disturbed by the likes of Monokuma.”

“A cottage would not work,” Sonia mused. “The space would be too cramped.”

“Cramped, you say?! I can make that work!”

“The easiest bone to break is the clavicle,” Matsuda droned. “But wrists and ankles are also quite easy to break as all you really need is a good harsh fall.”

Hanamura went quiet.

“I learned in medical school that I’m actually pretty good at breaking bones with sheer force alone,” Matsuda went on. “There’s something almost rhythmic about the snaps your finger bones can make.”

“S-Stop talking!” Souda screeched. “Dude, what the _hell_?! You’re almost scarier than the fucking yakuza!”

“I just thought it’d be interesting information to share,” Matsuda said simply. “I’m sure someone here is pretty attentive when it comes to _bones_.”

Hanamura nervously combed through his hair.

“Bones are...what add flavor...”

“Even if the bone is broken, it’s important to move the limb to combat atrophy,” Nidai said, crossing his arms and nodding. “You must take good care of your body, even when INJURED!!!”

“...yeah,” Matsuda replied, averting his gaze. “The screaming brick isn’t wrong...”

“I-It is pretty interesting,” Tsumiki murmurs, giggling. “The femur is actually the most painful to break, due to it taking the most force to do so...”

“...yeah,” Matsuda replied, voice even lower. “I knew that, too...”

_That’s basic osteology. But **that’s** a rather complicated expression, huh._

“You make such gross faces!” Saionji hissed, making Tsumiki yelp. “At this rate, I might gag so hard that I’ll end up breaking bones!”

“O-Oh no!”

“And they’ll be _yours_!”

“Eek!”

“You’ll also definitely break your _own_ ,” Matsuda muttered. “Judging by your appearance, you don’t have a strong enough bite.”

“What was _that_ , Matsuda-onii?”

“With Matsuda-kun and Tsumiki-san here, we don’t have to worry about injuries,” Komaeda chirped. “But this doesn’t really help with deciding the location. There’s an old lodge nearby. Why not use that?”

“That place looked super shabby,” Hinata said, eager to switch conversation topics. “Will that really be safe?”

“It’s the only place that’s closed off,” Komaeda pointed out. “As for the shabbiness, well, I think it wouldn’t be impossible to clean it up. It should work.” He hums. “The only real issue is that Monomi forbade us from going in earlier...”

“I can still break in,” Matsuda supplied.

“Oh that would be _easy_!” Owari exclaimed. “Even a roundhouse kick at half-strength would knock that door off its hinges!”

“T-That’s unnecessary! Utterly unnecessary!” Monomi hurriedly cried. Because. She was here now. “I-If it’s for the sake of strengthening friendship among my most precious students, I would be _happy_ to open that door!”

“Were you watching us from the cameras?” Togami asked sharply. Monomi flinched at that, and at Matsuda’s harsh glare.

“No... I just overheard the conversation with my ears... Because... I’m a rabbit...”

“So Monokuma’s the only one in control of the cameras now,” Matsuda muttered, glare darkening as Monomi cowered. “Fucking lovely.”

“U-Uu... A-Anyway!” Monomi was desperately quick to bounce back. Because she was a rabbit. “I’ll do everything I can to help! So let’s enjoy that party to our fullest!”

“Are you going to clean it for us?” Nanami asked. “Can you _do_ that?”

“O-Oh... No...” Monomi shakes her head. “Um... I don’t...have thumbs... And I don’t have my wings... B-But I can give good scrubs...”

“Actually don’t,” Saionji snapped. “You’ll just get all dusty and dirty and you’re already so gross to look at.”

“S-So kind...!” Monomi sobbed, and she fled the scene. “So kind I just can’t _take_ it!”

_...she’s a fucking mess._ Matsuda thought, watching her disappear. _It’s best to not associate with that bitch more than we have to._

“Even if the lodge has been decided, it’s definitely going to need some sprucing up,” Koizumi said. “It’ll probably be a lot of work...”

“You could do it,” Matsuda said.

“Ooh! I’ve never been faced with such labor before!” Sonia exclaimed. “How hella exciting!”

“She could do it,” Matsuda said.

“Absolutely NOT!” Souda roared. “A princess should never lower herself to such—!”

“I would say that you could do it, but you haven’t even washed your jumpsuit in days, have you?” Matsuda asked.

“WHAT?!” Koizumi shrieked. “Souda, you said that you would! It’s still all torn up, too!”

“I-I’ll fix it before the party!” he squawked. “Don’t worry about it!”

“I still would not mind cleaning,” Sonia said pleasantly.

“If you’ve never cleaned before, you’ll probably be shit at it,” Saionji said. “Well, I don’t want to clean either.”

“Oh...” Sonia seemed crestfallen. “Is that so...?”

“Rather than argue, we can decide things with a draw,” Komaeda said, pulling out handfuls of sticks. “Whoever has the red stick cleans. Just leave it to luck. That way, no hard feelings.”

“What the fuck,” Matsuda said. “Is it part of your talent to just _prepare_ shit like that out of the blue?”

“Ahaha, I just had an inkling that something like this might happen,” Komaeda replied. “That’s all it is.”

_That’s all it is?_

“Well, whatever,” Matsuda sighed, drawing his stick. “Whatever gets shit done.”

* * *

He didn’t draw the red stick, so it didn’t really matter one way or the other.

No, instead the unlucky bastard was, ironically, Komaeda.

“I thought you had Ultimate _Luck_ , Komaeda,” Hinata teased. “Maybe you should change your title.”

“Well, it’s not so bad,” Komaeda laughed. “I’m actually pretty good at cleaning. I even enjoy it a little.”

“Oh, so you’re a domestic kind of guy?” Koizumi asked. “Like a house husband? You definitely give off that vibe.”

“Oh...” Komaeda was weirdly embarrassed by that. “T-Thank you...?”

_Hm._

“Just leave the cooking to me!” Hanamura exclaimed. “First, I must secure the ingredients, and then—you will all see and feast upon the ultimate cuisine!”

“...hey, Komaeda.” Matsuda tugged him aside. “Is that really going to be fine? Not only will you have to clean a lot, but you’ll also need to keep an eye on _that_ guy.”

_I at least trust Komaeda to do that second part, but the first..._

“Don’t worry about it, Matsuda-kun,” Komaeda said cheerily. “It’ll be fine.”

“Mm...gh.” Matsuda’s lips twisted, and his tone lowered. “Fine. But if it’s too much for you, just flutter your eyelashes at Hinata or something. I’m sure he’ll help if you ask.”

Hinata thankfully hadn’t heard that, but he did perk at Komaeda’s responding giggle. And he got flustered.

_Yeah. That’s one whipped nut._

“It’ll be fine,” Komaeda said. “Don’t worry. I’ll _definitely_ keep a close eye on Hanamura-kun, too.”

“I trust you,” Matsuda said seriously. “So don’t fuck up.” He turned to Nidai. “But if any heavy lifting needs to be done, _you_ should pitch in. We can’t seriously expect a cotton twig to manage all that.”

Nidai laughed and boomed, “UNDERSTOOD!”

“I’ll go inform Kuzuryuu, then,” Pekoyama said. “With all that decided.”

“With all that decided,” Togami echoed. “We shall disperse for now to get preparations started.”

“Fucking _finally_ ,” Matsuda muttered irritably.

“Matsuda-kun.”

He paused for a moment, glancing back at Komaeda’s beaming face.

“Thank you. You really are a kind person.”

He snorted.

“...whatever.”


	6. Corpse Party: Tropical Edition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, it's finally here! Woohoo! Bet you were all waiting for this...! Prooooobably not, haha.
> 
> I definitely had some ideas about this but in the end I just went with the straightforward approach because I just...ended up doing that. Well, I did say it was half-and-half, not a full...either one way or the other. Mmgh.
> 
> I do like the party scene though, even across mediums such as the various manga. It ends how you'd expect but it's nice to have a scene where everyone's bright and cheerful for a bit. Unfortunately, Matsuda doesn't share my appreciation because he's a basket case. RIP, Matsun.

_Truth be told... I really don’t want to go. At like, all._

Unsurprisingly, Matsuda Yasuke was not the most adept at social gatherings. Even as he deliberately skipped out on student hangouts; when it came to work parties, he was often excluded for obvious reasons. It wasn’t just that he hated being around people—although, yes, he definitely fucking hated being around people—but also...

_So much ruckus. So much shit going on. This is going to suck._

He already feels a little queasy and right now, he can only hope one of his idiot classmates sneaks in alcohol or something to make things a little more tolerable.

_As long as it’s not from that fucking creepy cook. Although the fucking mechanic guy would probably have shit taste in drinks. Urgh._

He’ll have to soldier through. When it’s finally time to head out, his mood isn’t much lighter.

He’s dragging his feet and he knows it. So much so that when he spots Pekoyama, arms crossed with a troubled look on her face, he stops.

“...gangster gremlin not coming?”

“You should not call him that,” Pekoyama said swiftly. She soon sighed. “But, no, he is not.”

“Right...”

He’s dragging his feet and he knows it. He can already hear Mioda’s manic giggling and stomping footsteps. He can hear Tsumiki’s laughter, too, although she starts sobbing over nothing pretty quickly. The others are making their way over, save for one broody baby.

Matsuda trudges, and then, once he reaches the door, he pauses. The lodge looms, decrepit and ominous with only lights filtering through the windows as a welcome sign. If not for that, Matsuda would wonder if the damn thing was actually a test of courage in disguise.

_Urgh. I can hear some of them, though._

It’s muffled, but apparent. When he went inside, it was bound to be really fucking loud.

_...I still have a bad feeling about this. Inherent distastefulness of the situation aside, is this really going to be safe? Monokuma has fucking cameras set up. There’s no way in hell he won’t notice this._

“Urgh...” Tensely, he raked his fingers through his hair. “I can’t just ditch—not in a situation like this. Fuck... _Fuuuck_...”

“Uu... Are you not going inside, then?”

_...aaaaaand that’s one fucking reason why I can’t just say fuck it._

Monomi was looking up at him pleadingly, beady eyes brimming with tears. Somehow, that pitiable face made his glare and snarl harsher.

“S-So cold!” Monomi exclaimed. “A-Awawawa... You’re really, really angry, huh?”

“What was your first _clue_?”

“U-Uu...” Monomi pulls down on her ears. “Um... A-Actually... I understand why... Matsuda-kun is mad...”

“Oh?” Matsuda’s tone is deceptively light, even when the heavy shadow of his gaze. “Do you?”

“While I regrettably can’t provide any answers, I do really want to help everyone, um...” Monomi perked up. “I-I can guard the lodge! From that meanie Monokuma! That would help, right?”

“...”

“Right...?”

Matsuda sighed.

_...even though I really fucking hate her right now, she really is making such a face... She comes across as too dumb to accomplish anything. But more than that..._

“You’re not exactly trustworthy right now,” he said lowly. “So it’d have to be with one of the others.”

“I can do it.”

Somehow, used as he was to Monomi’s antics, he didn’t have a fucking heart attack at Nanami’s sudden appearance. That said, he still wasn’t terribly impressed.

“At least fucking say hi before butting in on a conversation.”

“Hi,” Nanami said.

“Alright, it’s a start, space cadet,” Matsuda huffed. “Really giving me a boost of confidence, there, great work.”

“Thanks,” she said.

_...like an alien from another fucking planet... I almost want to cut her head open to see what I find._

“Anyway, are you really volunteering to do guard work?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “You? Won’t you just fall asleep?”

“I’ll try not to,” Nanami answered. And then, after a pause, she added, “I think.”

“Are you serious about this?” he asked pressingly. “Or are you just looking for a reason to ditch?”

“...mm...” Nanami shook her head. “No. I definitely want to help. In some way. I’m pretty sure.”

“...” _Definitely, she says. Pretty sure, she says. I would feel more assured with a drunk coworker._ “If you’re _definitely_ _pretty_ **_sure_** , I guess I can’t fucking doubt you too much.”

_I have nothing but doubt right now. But this zombie is probably on the better half of options. Oh god, we’re so fucking screwed._

“Still, might as well work with what we got,” he muttered to himself, riffling through his pocket and pulling out a small bottle. He places it in Nanami’s hand. “Here. That should keep you awake, at least.”

“...energy powder...?” Her head tilts. “Um... Okay.”

“Actually.” He pulls out another small bottle and hands that over as well. “Take two. No wait.” He pulls out another, and puts it in Nanami’s other hand. “Three. Perfect.”

“I-Is that safe?” Monomi asked shakily.

“If not, we’ll know in a few hours,” Matsuda said. “I know from experience it won’t _kill_ her. At least it shouldn’t.”

“Okay,” Nanami said, utterly unaffected.

_I’d give her a fourth but I need to keep at least something for myself._

“Just in case, drink plenty of water and avoid excess salt,” he went on. “If you get hematuria—well, if that should probably sort itself out.”

“...I’ll be fine,” Nanami said. “I think.”

“That’s the spirit.” _This is what I have to work with._ “Good luck, I guess.”

“Thanks. Matsuda-kun.”

He’s a little quick to go on ahead, grimacing as he feels Nanami’s unsettlingly blank gaze on her back.

* * *

“Matsuda Yasuke. There you are.”

“Hey—wow. Okay. Just gonna, uh, get right to it huh.”

Togami was thorough in patting him down, taking his scalpels and holding them between his fingers as he continued to check.

It, unfortunately, was not the most invasive thing Matsuda has ever been through.

“You done?” he asked tiredly.

“Do you have any more of these hidden on your person?” Togami asked in return, gesturing to his blades.

“Just one I store in my ass.”

“Please remove it, then.”

Togami didn’t even miss a beat.

_Well, then._

“I’m joking,” Matsuda huffed. “Although if you’re going to check anyway, I’d at least like to eat first.”

Togami gave him a long look, and then with a exhale, he shook his head and went to store the scalpels in one of the duralumin cases at his feet.

_He must’ve gotten those from the supermarket._

“You’re really serious about security, huh,” Matsuda droned. “You’re not gonna keep those, right?”

“You may have them back after the party,” Togami said. “But for now, yes. I said there were going to be no victims. I very much meant it. The other case is in the event of trouble.”

_...huh._

While Matsuda could understand the need for meticulousness, there was something off. While he expected Togami to be serious, there was a rigidity to his shoulders and a guardedness to his gaze.

_When he was the one talking about how everyone should rely on him..._

“Hey,” Matsuda found himself speaking up. “Did something _happen_?”

Togami, for what it was worth, did not lose poise.

“I knew you would suspect something,” he said. “You really are too sharp for your own good.”

“Thought that had been well-established by this point,” Matsuda remarked, fiddling with his slipper. _They still need breaking in._

“Nevertheless,” Togami snapped, taking the cases. “There is still much to be done. Proceed to the main hall and enjoy the festivities.”

“...” Matsuda just trailed after him instead, slouching as he did. “Soooo what else has to be done?”

“You need not concern yourself, Matsuda Yasuke.”

“What was that? Must be fucking mishearing things.” Matsuda picked at his ear. “Because that directly fucking contradicts what you said before about how we should work together.”

Togami was quiet at that, though he muttered something under his breath.

Something like, _“too sharp for his own good”_ or whatever. Matsuda could hardly give a shit about that.

“Something happened,” Matsuda said, even more sharply than before. “And it turns out you really _did_ bite off more than you could fucking chew. It really is a whole lot easier to just _say_ that shit, huh? I should’ve known.”

Togami paused. He was still so noticeably tensed, and then, he sighed. He did not relax, even slightly.

“...if you insist, then you may come along.”

Matsuda snorted but he followed suit all the same.

* * *

“Before the food is to be served, it must be checked for any dangerous items,” Togami was saying, stomping as he did. “I did not check earlier—but we must be thorough now even if the time is short.”

“...you really did bite off more than you could chew, huh...”

_Honestly, I can’t help but think that he actually has no fucking clue what he’s doing._

Matsuda bit his tongue for now, keeping his head down as they entered the kitchen.

“Oho! Togami-kun, Matsuda-kun! To what do I have the honor of welcoming two handsome men into my humble palace?” Hanamura was quick to greet, wiping sweat from his brow. Matsuda shuddered in premature disgust as Hanamura licked his lips. “Dinner is right on schedule—but are you perhaps looking to be prepared as well? Hon, hon, hon...”

At Matsuda’s harsh, piercing glare, Hanamura’s laughter died down.

“Aha... Haha... It’s just a joke, Matsuda-kun. Such a heartbreaker.”

Matsuda rolled his eyes, but jolted to attention at the sudden urgency in Togami’s shout.

“Oi, what is _this_?!”

Whatever Togami was indicating seemed to be on the food table, which actually looked pretty delicious for the record. Although Matsuda still wasn’t sure about it. For one moment, he wondered if Togami noticed any actual foul play within the food. For the next, he wondered if Togami was referring to the cutlery because he could believe that Togami was just _that_ fucking paranoid now.

And before he could blink, Togami had snatched up each skewered bundle of meat, and was wolfing them down at impressive speed.

“W-What are you _doing_?!” Hanamura screeched. “That’s for the party!”

“It’s too dangerous for the party!”

 _Yeah,_ Matsuda thought sardonically. _The red meat bitch would probably maul someone over that shit._

“Do you not see the problem here?!” Togami was still shouting. Hanamura was still flailing.

“D-Do you not like Churrasco?! Is that it?!” Hanamura stammered. “I-It’s just—it originated in South America, so, I, I just thought it’d be a good fit with the tropical mood...”

_Oh wow, that actually sounds pretty good..._

“It’s not the meat that’s the problem here!” Togami roared and in a few quick strides, Matsuda hopped forward and grabbed one of the sticks. Togami’s grip was stubborn but that didn’t stop Matsuda from taking a bite out of the meat while he had a chance.

“Mm...” _Oh. That’s actually really good._ “If it’s not the meat then it’s the skewers. You could really impale someone with these.”

“S-So I can’t use skewers?!” Hanamura cried, but then, his tone softened with glee. “By the way, Matsuda-kun, your expression just then was quite lovely. Please continue enjoying my meat to your heart’s content.”

_Oh wow. There went my appetite. Amazing._

“So careless!” Togami scoffed. “It is a good thing we came in here. There are far, far too many dangerous weapons in here. Matsuda, start by clearing out the cutlery. We can make due with chopsticks.”

_Sure enough._

“Rooooger that.”

“E-Eh? But, but...” Hanamura was fretting considerably. “My chef’s knives...my cutlery... my cooking utensils... I-I mean, I’m done with cooking and just need prepare for serving, but still...!” He sobbed and lurched forward, throwing his arms out. “Wahhhh, Matsuda-kun!!!”

“Do you see this fork?” Hanamura stopped, nearly stumbling over himself. Matsuda kept pointing the fork at him. “Pretty sharp, huh? I bet you could stab a whole hand through with this.”

“Which is why it must be confiscated,” Togami huffed, shoving handfuls of tableware into the case.

“U-Uurk...” Hanamura swallowed as Matsuda twirled the fork around his fingers. Hanamura exhales heavily, fiddling with his fingers. “While your tsuntsun attitude definitely lends itself to some inviting fantasies, it really is a challenge requiring a lot of work, huh... Hard to get, indeed.”

“You say that like _getting_ is even a possibility in the first place,” Matsuda snapped. “It’s not. Fuck off forever. Unless you want to _die_.”

“ _No_ one is dying,” Togami snapped back as Hanamura yelped when Matsuda threw the fork at him. It didn’t hit him, of course, instead lodging itself in the wall. Togami yanked it out, scowling. “But you are distracting us, Hanamura. Before you leave, however, there is a missing iron skewer according to this list.”

“O-Oh!” Hanamura touched his face instinctively. “Right, um.... I believe that was missing before I got here. While things were in better shape than expected, it is still an old lodge. Missing utensils isn’t a surprise.”

“There is nowhere to hide it, either, so I suppose we will simply leave it be,” Togami said, sighing and shaking his head before snapping back to attention. “However, we still need to do a thorough check. So you _should_ leave, Hanamura.”

“Oh, um... V-Very well... Let me know when you two are done...”

Hanamura scampered out, and Matsuda continued rifling through the drawers. With the well-needed silence and focus, Matsuda gathered up everything remotely dangerous he could find and deposited them into the case.

They made a series of metallic clangs as he dropped them, and for whatever reason, Togami only gave a small nod.

“Thank you, Matsuda.”

Togami, too, drops what he’s found into the case.

Without another word, Matsuda checks over everything thoroughly, humming as he does. Togami consults the list to make sure everything is accounted for, and Matsuda idly dawdles.

_...I’ve cleaned surgical tools with a more cheery atmosphere. This is for a party, right?_

“Come to think of it,” he said. “You’ve been acting weird for a while now. Ever since you announced the party being a thing.”

He isn’t dignified with an answer, but whatever. He expected that.

“...I don’t expect you to tell me anything,” he found himself going on, despite all of that. “But it’s stupid as shit to handle something overwhelming all on your own. Especially if it’s something you don’t feel fully prepared for. Ambition is great, but you need proper support to back it up or you’re just going to get trampled.”

_Although...why am I the one pointing this out?_

_What do **I** know?_

Matsuda touched his forehead, wondering why it felt so warm.

_Just what am I **s̷̛̲̜̫̑̓̓a̶̰̮͑̋͜͝͝ÿ̶̢̭̩̣́̈́̇͊i̸͕͍̅̓̚n̴̟̉̒͛͘ğ̴̬͊͑**?_

**_Seriously_ what _—_**

“You really are too sharp for your own good.”

Matsuda blinked a few times, and that wave of sudden, rushing uncertainty abated so quickly that he wondered if he imagined it.

_...sometimes I overthink shit, but..._

Matsuda shook his head, turning back to Togami with a dry stare.

“Do you have any _new_ dialogue? Why the broken record act?”

“Hmph.” It sounded like an almost chuckle, but there wasn’t any mirth behind it. Togami still wasn’t looking at him. “I seem to have fallen into an old, familiar trap. One I thought I escaped. One I had wanted to bury.”

_...what normal person fucking talks like that? I know you’re an elite, but wow, that pretension..._

“Uh, huh,” Matsuda droned, unimpressed. “Big fucking deal, you’re giving into paranoia and overzealous caution. Like hell if this isn’t the kind of situation that _stews_ in that shit. Even if you weren’t like that in the past, it’d be pretty easy to lean into it now.”

Togami sucked in his breath, and then, he finally meets his gaze.

“Living like that, surrounded by people you could not trust, and people who refused to trust you in return... It is not _easy_ , Matsuda Yasuke. It is hell. Pure hell.”

“That’s... I didn’t mean it like that...” Matsuda trailed off. “What I’m saying is that no one’s going to hold that kind of shit against you... At least, they shouldn’t...”

“...” There is an odd glimmer in Togami’s gaze just then. And then, those eyes fall shut. “In this situation, it is natural to suspect everyone. But I believe that can come in handy. When reasonably exploited, of course.”

_Reasonably..._

“Despite saying that, I do feel at ease,” Togami said, chuckling once more, so softly that Matsuda couldn’t register the tone behind it. “Perhaps I shall tell you more in due time. If we manage through these tumultuous days, maintaining harmony. In fact, I may have no choice in the matter...”

“You really don’t have to,” Matsuda replied, grumbling. “I’m not a goddamn therapist, after all.”

“...no, but you are something else.” Togami’s gaze bores into him. “Time will only tell what that something is, Matsuda Yasuke.”

_So I could be an enemy. Well. It’s not like I can be all that surprised._

He shouldn’t even bother with this anymore. It’s not like he’s going to get anywhere. _Besides_ —

“We are done here,” Togami said with a flourish. “So, proceed to the main hall. We must not keep the others waiting. You are free to go on ahead. I implore you to do so, in fact.”

“...kay.”

_Only time will tell, huh? So fucking eerie._

* * *

Treading through, Matsuda takes in more and more of the old lodge. It’s, unsurprisingly, pretty fucking old. The floorboards look as if they could break from one wrong step and there are numerous gaps leading into malicious darkness. The wallpaper is really, really tacky.

But, there’s a nice smell up head. And there’s also some brimming light from the main doors, too.

_The party. Well. Best foot forward._

He pushes both onwards and on the doors, and he’s greeted with so much light and color that he ends up squinting like a cryptid that hadn’t seen the sun before. There’s a lot of chattering, as expected, a lot of whining about food and hurrying, and Matsuda already feels a little dizzy. He manages not to stumble and only barely avoids bumping into Komaeda.

“Matsuda-kun! You made it!” Komaeda’s beaming so brightly that Matsuda squints even harder at that. “I’m glad!”

“I said I would, what do I look like, a dirty fucking liar?” Matsuda growled, rubbing his eyes in irritation, blinking them a few times so that he could focus properly. “Even if I’m not going to enjoy it, I tend to do the shit I say I’m going to do.”

He glances around. Pekoyama is enjoying juice with Koizumi and Sonia. Saionji is bitching out Tsumiki for existing. Hanamura has the food set up, much to the delight of Owari and Mioda. Souda and Nidai seem to be getting along. Tanaka is laughing to himself and his hamsters.

But all things considered, the main hall looks pretty alright. It’s clean and tidy, with almost cute paper decorations and a carpet laid out to protect them from the shitty, rotten floorboards. The windows are covered up by fucking bunker steel plates. That’s a little weird. But all things considered, pretty alright.

“What do you think? Do you like it?” Komaeda asks. “It was quite a wreck when I started. It took all day just to fix up the dining hall. Oh. But I definitely kept an eye on Hanamura-kun, too.”

“You look like bird shit but you’re pretty much one of two semi-reliable people here,” Matsuda said, eyes half-lidded. “So thanks. I appreciate it.”

“That means a lot coming from you!” Komaeda exclaimed. “I’m really happy to hear it, Matsuda-kun!”

“Even though you could have worded it a bit nicer,” Hinata grumbled from suddenly close by.

“Who the fuck are you?”

“Don’t start with that,” Hinata snapped before softening his expression for Komaeda’s sake. “But you did work really hard, Komaeda. Sorry again I couldn’t help out.”

“What were you doing instead? Scratching your ass?” _That’s what I was doing while reading._ “I see you’re enjoying that juice...did you seriously zoom over here the second I showed up and Cotton Floss here started talking to me?”

“I wanted to check to see how shitty your mood would be,” Hinata sniffed, sipping at his drink irritably. “This juice is really good, though.”

“It’s good that Hinata-kun is enjoying himself,” Komaeda chirped. “And you really don’t need to worry about that. I lost the drawing fair and square, ehe. It’s my own fault for having such a fickle talent.”

 _Fickle, huh?_ Matsuda thought, eying the thin white wisps of hair and those skeletal, fragile-looking pale hands. Komaeda’s easygoing laugh. _Hmph._

“So the juice is good, huh?” Matsuda takes the cup from Hinata, downing the rest of it before Hinata’s sputtering face. “Pwah. Oh. Yeah. That is good fucking juice.”

“G-GET YOUR OWN?!”

“I did. By stealing yours.” Matsuda head tilted. “So I guess you’ll have to get another one. Unless you want it back?”

“I don’t! Gross!”

Before Matsuda could say anything to that, Hinata marched back to the juice bowl, grumbling and cursing as he did. He fills up another cup, and then downs that just as quickly as Matsuda had downed his. He seems so steamed that his ears are all red.

_Pffffft._

“You really do mess with Hinata-kun a lot,” Komaeda says. “Do you like him, Matsuda-kun?”

“Like, as a person? Not really.” He sees Hinata stiffen, weirdly, and his eyes narrow. His voice lowers. “But he is really _easy_ to mess with, isn’t he?”

“He’s a bit frail, so please don’t push him too much,” Komaeda said cheerily.

_...coming from the guy who would lose in a fight against a light breeze._

“You both have been pretty wound up,” Komaeda goes on. “Maybe enjoy the atmosphere while you can?”

“I...” Matsuda hesitated, and he felt his stomach churn a little. “I’m not a party guy. Shocking to hear, I know.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Komaeda looks so genuinely apologetic that it’s _unbelievably_ annoying. “You can step out if you want.”

“And do what? Guard the fucking door with the spacy gaming otaku?” Matsuda cringed at the thought. “Yeah, no, I’m fine.”

_That would go badly regardless of that weirdo does, be it trying to unnaturally converse, staying unnaturally quiet, or just fucking falling asleep and leaving me on my own to deal with the rabbit bitch and potentially that fucking bear, too._

“Brooding on my own with that dumbass wouldn’t be a productive use of time either,” he added for good measure. “I’ll stick around. If I can handle a hospital on red and black alert, I can handle a shitty party.”

_I’ll be fine...absolutely fine..._

“Don’t push yourself either, Matsuda-kun,” Komaeda said. Still worriedly.

_Maybe he’s a fairy in disguise. Or a ghost. Wouldn’t surprise me._

“Tch. Whatever.”

_Like hell it matters._

* * *

It really is noisy. And a little disorienting. But it’s nothing he can’t handle. He’s pretty sure of it.

“You’re giving off a pretty scary aura,” Hinata observes warily. Souda is shuddering, too. “By the way, is something up with Togami?”

_So I’m not the only one that noticed. Dammit, snob._

“T-That body search was just too much!” Souda exclaimed. “He even confiscated my screwdriver! The Souda Family screwdriver! That’s practically a heirloom, y’know!”

“You can mutilate someone _pretty_ seriously with a screwdriver,” Matsuda pointed out, making him flinch.

“I-I wouldn’t dare...!”

“Speaking of that, how many scalpels of yours did Togami have to take?” Hinata asked, a smile twisting at his lips. “It was probably a lot.”

“I managed to sneak one in,” Matsuda said. A pause. “Joking.”

“Why are you so SCARY?!” Souda shrieked.

“Shut _uuuuuup_!” Saionji exclaimed. “Between yours and that pig puke’s whining, the party’s dangerously close to being ruined before it starts!”

Both Souda and Tsumiki sobbed.

_Aw, geez._

“The party needs to hurry!” Owari complained. “I’m gonna _starve_ at this rate!”

“There is no need to be so dramatic.” Finally, Togami steps in, carrying in the cases. “I have finished with preparations, so the party can begin underway. However there are still a few more factors to deal with.”

“YAHOO! IT’S THE STAR OF THE SHOW!” Mioda exclaimed, latching onto him.

“You took foreeeeever, porkfeet!” Saionji exclaimed. “Why are you so sloooooow?!”

“Apologies, apologies.”

Matsuda perked up, noticing that for whatever reason, Togami seemed a little more at ease. Even though he still had a tight grip on those cases.

_That’s...a good thing, I guess._

“So Kuzuryuu has not shown himself?” Togami asks, getting back to business.

“No, he has not,” Pekoyama said. “He vehemently refused.”

“Nanami-san is keeping guard with Monomi,” Komaeda supplied. “So Kuzuryuu-kun is the only one unaccounted for.”

Togami scoffed.

“While this party’s attendance was compulsory, if it is just one person... I suppose I can let it slide. An individual cannot do much on his own, after all.”

_You would know._

“By the way, where are you going to put those?” Matsuda asked. “Should we store them under the table or something?”

“One I will keep with me, but the other...” Togami holds it up, giving it quite the narrowed glare. “While it has been locked, I would like for someone to guard it.”

“Oh...” Matsuda swallowed. “Then...”

“I’ll do it,” Pekoyama says before he can even start. “I’m not a large group person, and can keep diligent watch.”

“Ooh! That’d make for a good song!” Mioda chirped. “ _Lonely Girl On Watch_!”

“It is not a concern,” Pekoyama said, unmoved. “I will simply take my share of food with me into the storage room.”

Matsuda bit the inside of his lips, but kept quiet.

_...well, it’s not like I wanted to guard the stupid fucking case...with my scalpels in them..._

“Why don’t you take it to the office, instead?” Komaeda suggested. “I checked the storage room earlier, but I didn’t have time to clean it so it’s all dusty and dark. It’s so gloomy.”

“Yeah, that doesn’t sound healthy, either,” Hinata added, to which Matsuda bristled.

_What do **I** care, anyway?_

“The office it shall be, then,” Togami said with a firm nod. “The circuit breakers are also there, so please guard those as well.”

“Understood.” With that, Pekoyama took the case, giving all of them a polite nod of her own. “I shall be going. Please enjoy yourselves to your fullest.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Matsuda grumbled, waving his hand as she left.

“Do you want to go with her, Matsuda-kun?” Komaeda asked cheerfully.

“...no.” Matsuda huffed. “I’m fucking fine. No big deal.”

“I hate seeing her leave, but I love watching her go,” Mioda sighed dreamily. “Peko-chan is so _evocative_ in how she coolly walks into the distance.”

“You can go with her,” Matsuda said, unimpressed.

“But then I’d miss Byakuya-chan’s party!” Mioda winked. “No dice!”

_...she’s a heavy swinger, huh._

“Hey, HEY!” Owari shouted. “Can we eat now or not?!”

“You may,” Togami said. “There are no other problems.”

“SWEEEEET!”

“YAAAAAAAAAAAY!”

“WHOOOOOO!”

“MUAHAHAHA! LET US _DIIIIIIIIIIIINE_!”

“ _PARTAAAAAY_!”

“...ow.”

His ears were ringing, and Matsuda felt just a little more bitter than before. The others were shouting and whooping too, some even hooting. There were other shouts, calling for a cheers. Matsuda only raised his cup a little, still picking at his ear.

_I can handle this. I can totally handle this._

* * *

“Alright everyone! Say cheese!” _Snap._ “Matsuda! You’re scowling again! Geez, you’re ruining the picture!”

“This is just my usual face, bitch.”

“ _Geeeez_.”

“Yoohoo! Mahiru-chan!” Mioda waved her arms frantically, bouncing on one foot. “Over here, over here,  oooooveeeeer— _oof_!”

She smacks into Tanaka. Tanaka screams a piercing yowl. Matsuda covers his ears, and Mioda just laughs that off.

“B-Be more careful, Ibuki-chan,” Koizumi reprimanded gently.

“Sorry, sorry!”

“The infernal portal has swiped the piercing steel of the hellhound!”

“Haha, whaaaaat?”

_For **fuck’s** sake..._

Owari is sobbing as she eats.

“I just can’t stoooop! It’s just so good!!!”

“But of course! It’s the world’s most delicious food, courtesy of the Ultimate Chef!” Hanamura said, preening as he skips off. Weirdly, he almost stumbles, but keeps his voice upbeat. “I’ll keep it coming! Eat until you burst!”

“M-Maybe not to that extent,” Tsumiki mumbled. “But, um, if you do, I can treat it...”

“I’m not going to expect Komaeda to clean it,” Matsuda grumbled.

_My head’s starting to throb._

**_I really...don’t do well in parties._ **

It doesn’t help that despite Togami’s scolding and ordering, Nidai and Tanaka are screaming about stupid shit. Literally in one case, although Matsuda definitely wasn’t that curious about it.

_This is just a mess. It’s a complete fucking mess._

He ends up retreating to the corner, rubbing his head as he does. He feels a little sick and he’ll be really fucking pissed if he ends up puking when he has decent food in his stomach.

_Gross... So gross..._

“Matsuda-kun?”

There’s a cold yet careful hand lightly touching his shoulder.

“Matsuda-kun,” Komaeda says, frown deepening. “Are you alright?”

“I...” Matsuda groans, making the fucking best possible case for his current state. “It’s whatever. I guess it’s just taking...a lot...of tolerating.”

There’s a lot of shouting and arguing. But there’s a lot of laughing, too. A lot of carefree chatter.

“Say _cheese_!” Koizumi exclaims cheerfully.

_...it’s so exhausting._

“It’s nice, though,” Komaeda says. “Everyone was so troubled before, and they’re enjoying themselves now. It’s nice.”

“It’s noisy,” Matsuda says. “I wish this wasn’t so necessary for the sakes of not just our safety but also our sanity. This kind of contentment is—just way too fucking fragile.”

“...I suppose...” Komaeda seems wistful, at that. It’s strange. There’s a strange twist to his grin. “But I still want you to have fun while you can, Matsuda-kun. You deserve to smile, too.”

Matsuda attempts it, bitterly.

“That really does look so painful,” Komaeda laughs, but he seems exasperated.

“Hey, Komaeda.” Hinata steps in, waving his hand and still carrying a cup of juice. “Matsuda’s just going to snap at you if you keep bothering him.”

_Are you trying to invite him?_

“It’s fine,” Komaeda replies. “I’m just a little tired, too. I love seeing everyone happy, but... It is pretty noisy.”

“Oh... Yeah...” Hinata frowns, but he nods in understanding. “Alright, then.”

 _Is that disappointment?_ Matsuda’s glare sharpened. _Are you seriously jealous?_

Hinata wasn’t looking at him, but just at Komaeda.

“It’s fine,” Komaeda repeated, smiling gently. “Don’t worry about me, Hinata-kun. Please keep enjoying yourself. It’s so nice to see you at ease for once.”

“I...” Hinata hurriedly nods again. “A-Alright.”

Flustered, Hinata quickly leaves them be. Matsuda wonders if his heart is pounding. Komaeda’s smile remains still and serene. An eerie calm, with unshifting fog-green eyes.

_...this guy..._

“You really do bother me,” he griped.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Komaeda replied, and he _does_ look sorry. That sincerity was bothersome. “This seems to always happen. I don’t know how to convey myself properly, and as a result, people get irritated with me. I am trying, but...” He trails off. “No, I shouldn’t bother you further with such menial whining.”

_Menial?_

Komaeda’s smile, then, was a self-effacing one. And then, it shifts into something unreadable.

“You know, noisy places with a lot of people bother me a lot.” Slowly, Komaeda’s arms wrap around himself. “Because—the more people, the more variables. The more possibilities. It’s quite daunting.”

Matsuda blinks, at that.

“...yeah?”

“You agree, don’t you?” Komaeda asked. “Part of why this situation is so frightening is because the copious amounts of unknown.”

Matsuda blinks again.

**_Ba-dump._ **

“Obviously...”

“Matsuda-kun,” Komaeda says, and his voice rakes over the syllables. “You’re really intelligent. You’re incredible, even among Ultimates. What...do you think is going to happen?”

**_Ba-dump._ **

“...do you have an answer? Or any ideas?”

“I have quite a few,” Matsuda said. “Because, as you said, there’s a lot of variables. A lot of possibilities. A lot of unknown.”

Komaeda’s smile twists.

**_Ba-dump!_ **

“Can’t you behave like adults?” Togami griped.

“Over here!” Koizumi exclaimed. “Let’s just take a few more!”

“I-I can’t take much more of this,” Nidai groaned. “Shit... _Shiiiiiit_...”

“Where has that infernal portal lead?!” Tanaka hissed. “WHERE, confound it?!”

“Ehehe... Hehehe...” Tsumiki giggled. “T-This is fun...”

“You’re so gross,” Saionji snorted. “You’re so, _so_ gross.”

“H-Hey, um, Sonia-san,” Souda stammered. “I, uh, wanted to talk about before...”

“Before?” Sonia asked. “I have no idea whatever you may be referring to.”

“So good!” Owari sobbed as she kept shoveling down food. “It’s just so good!!!”

“Mm...” Hinata hummed, a little exasperated and strained. “Aha... Haha...”

Matsuda blinked.

“...oi...”

He slowly turns. Without thinking, he reaches.

“Komae—”

_Beep-beep._

There’s a weird sound, and then, everything goes dark. His hand closes around nothing.

**_Huh?_ **

“Uwah!” someone shouts. “The power’s out!”

“I-It’s pitch-black...!” someone else cries. “What the hell?!”

**_What...is this?_ **

Matsuda nearly stumbles in the dark, and his heartbeat picks up.

_Ba-dump, ba-dump._

“K-Komaeda?!” he exclaimed. His own shouting gets drowned out. “ _Oi_!”

“It’s dark! It’s dark! I can’t _see_! Everything’s too _dark_!”

“Everyone, calm down! In times like this, you must remain calm!”

“ _WAAAAAH_! You stepped on my foot, you bully!”

“S-Shit...!” Matsuda cursed, fumbling around, hand braced on the wall. “Hey! Where the _hell_ did you go?!”

It’s dark. All dark all around. He can hear the others panicking. His own heart is pounding.

_Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump!_

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing?! _Stop_!”

**_Togami?_ **

“Ow!”

**_Komaeda?_ **

Matsuda stumbled forward, and then—he was knocked down.

“O- _Oof_!” He hits the floor with a harsh thud. Someone yelps. It hurts. And for whatever reason, it’s hard to move. “Urgh...”

_Just what—_

“Someone turn the lights back on! Eating without seeing is hard!”

“H-Hey, everyone! Where are you?! The power outage—wasn’t just in the kitchen?!”

“Did someone flip the circuit breakers?”

**_The hell?!_ **

More shouting. Frantic footsteps. It hurts.

“I-I’ll use the wall as a guide...! Don’t worry...!”

In times like these, all he can do is breathe and try to pull his hands in so that the don’t get trampled. If someone broke his fingers, there would be fucking hell to pay. A hell far fucking worse than this total darkness.

 _Seriously,_ Matsuda thought irritably, head throbbing terribly to make things worse. _Just why?_

The darkness provides no answers, of course. So, he lets his eyes fall shut. He counts. He goes over basic shit in his head to calm himself down.

_Temporal is for auditory._

People were still panicking. There were still stomping foot falls.

_Occipital is for visuals._

He keeps his eyes tightly shut, because like it makes a difference.

_Parietal is for tactile and sensory._

Whatever was pinning him down was fucking _heavy_. And lukewarm.

_And the frontal—reasoning. Motor skills. Higher level cognition. Expression._

Things suddenly went pink. The lights were on, so Matsuda’s eyes flew open.

He could see—and immediately wished that he couldn’t.

“I-I’m so sorry!” Tsumiki sobbed. “I fell again...!”

She also had her leg splayed over his _fucking_ _back_ , wrists tied together with sausage links with a plate of food propped up on her— _oh for **fuck’s** sake._

“Perverts!” Saionji exclaimed. “Doing _that_ in the dark!”

“Oh, my!” Mioda gasped. “Now that’s a scene!”

Hinata looked pretty flustered, fucking _worthless_ —!

“S-Sorry,” Tsumiki hiccupped. “I’m so, so ashamed...”

“O-Oh, Mikan-chan!” Koizumi exclaimed, rushing forward. “C-Careful! You don’t want that plate to fall!”

Koizumi was quick to untangle Tsumiki, helping her up as Sonia checked on Matsuda.

“Oh, Matsuda-san!” Sonia frets as Matsuda mutely pushes himself up. “That position looked quite painful!”

“I-I’m sorry for being so much trouble,” Tsumiki sniffled. “I froze up when I felt you get pinned under me...”

_So she **had** fucking noticed._

“...”

Matsuda dusted himself off, and then he takes a deep breath, hands pressing together.

“...y’know... I’m actually no stranger to that kind of shit. You’re not the worst I’ve had to deal with. By far. So, really, you shouldn’t worry about scarring me or whatever.”

“O-Oh...” Tsumiki perked up, fiddling with her fingers. “U-Um... M-Matsuda-san... I...”

“That. Said.”

“Y-Yes?”

 **“Don’t _EVER_ fucking do that again.” **Matsuda kept his tone level after that. “You’re supposed to be a member of the fucking healthcare committee, right? A would-be nurse? Then _have_ _more **restraint**_.”

“Eek!” Tsumiki shrieked, and then she began to sob. “I-I’m so _sorryyyyy_!”

“Are you _really_?” he hissed, and she only cried harder.

“Hey! Don’t yell at her over an accident!” Koizumi hurriedly gathered Tsumiki into her arms. “You jerk!”

“I really don’t mean to cause so much trouble,” Tsumiki wept into Koizumi’s shoulder. “H-He’s right... He’s absolutely right... B-But I... I...!”

“Shhh, shhh... It’s okay, Mikan-chan... There, there...”

Koizumi really was glaring daggers at him, but Matsuda just turned away with a growl, focusing on more important things.

_Where the actual hell is—?_

“Looks like the lights are back on,” Souda says.

“Oh, did you flip on the backers?” Saionji asked. “Congrats! You managed to be useful after all!”

“Actually, I couldn’t make it to the office...” Souda tugs at his beanie. “No idea why they turned on.”

“ _Ohhhh_? So you’re still useless, then. That’s what you’re saying.”

“S-Shut up...!”

“Ko _mae_ da,” Matsuda hissed, grabbing Komaeda’s arm. “Just what the _hell_ was that?!”

Komaeda seemed a bit startled, but also a little dazed.

“...what was what?”

“O-Oi, that’s enough!” Hinata exclaimed, taking Matsuda’s own shoulder. “You’ll hurt him!”

Matsuda growled, and his grip only tightened on Komaeda’s arm.

“Let go,” Hinata ordered. “I _mean_ it, Matsuda.”

Matsuda’s expression twisted, and then, he sighed, releasing Komaeda. Komaeda rubs idly at where he was grabbed.

“Are you alright?” Hinata asks, pushing Matsuda further away none too gently. “That blackout was, uh, pretty sudden, huh.”

“Yeah...” Komaeda bites his lower lip. “Um. Where’s Togami-kun?”

Matsuda perked up and looked around.

“Heeeh? You’re right, where the hell did he go?” Nidai wondered, scratching his head. “Did he run off or something?”

“But, he should’ve been back if he went to the office too,” Mioda said.

“Unless he got scared,” Saionji huffed. “Scared little piggy. I’m gonna pinch his tushy.”

Matsuda looked around once more, and then, his gaze drifted.

_His voice—wasn’t it in the general direction of...?_

“...hey.” Owari’s voice was low. “I smell something...like blood.” She points in the same direction Matsuda is already looking. The table against the far wall. “Over there. Yeah. That’s blood.”

“W-What?!” Koizumi flinched. “H-How? Are you sure?!”

“I-I can’t tell,” Tsumiki stammers. “I don’t...smell anything...”

“I do not, either,” Sonia murmurs. “There is only cuisine in the air.”

Matsuda strides forward. He kneels before the table.

“W-Well?!” Souda shrieked. “Make sure there’s nothing there so that we can go properly search for Togami!”

“...shut the hell up. All of you.”

Matsuda trails his fingers down the creases of the tablecloth.

_I can smell it now, too. It’s unmistakable._

He tugs at it, and he hesitates, feeling his stomach lurch and churn. He swallows, but his hand remains steady. It’s probably just because of the sheet. He’s unfortunately used—to sheets like this.

“Hey, Matsuda,” Hinata speaks up, uncertain and anxious. “What’s the hold up?”

Matsuda pulls the sheet. Carefully. But quickly. He doesn’t want to disturb anything. But still. He grimaces all the same, because of both the pungent stench—

“Aw, _geez_.”

And the teeming amount of blood, seeping into the woods and staining the back of the sheet. Togami lies there, face-down on the ground—like any victim in a cop show. It’s funny how much more surreal and how so much more sickening it is to be on the actual scene of something like that.

Matsuda reaches out, and he presses his fingers against Togami’s neck. His body is still warm, and his hair tickles against his hand. There’s no blood here, but that’s not much of a comfort when there’s still no pulse.

“...yeah.”

Matsuda pulls back, and he feels his lower back sting a little. Probably from being kicked earlier. That sharp pain threw everything into focus.

“Well, uh...” Matsuda turns back, and he doesn’t really look at their individual expressions—but he can tell it’s a melting pot of disbelief and trepidation. He does notice Komaeda’s face, however, and he finds himself talking while meeting that gaze, “Togami Byakuya is definitely dead. What time is it?”


	7. First Investigation Start!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What it says on tin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ended up longer than it had any right to and I'm pretty self-conscious about it but also, like, the trial is super long, too... Just saying. But we'll get there when we get there.
> 
> Writing the investigation was honestly pretty fun, especially since it means more banter but also more of Matsuda's serious side. Matsuda's the kind of guy who's really smart but dislikes jumping to conclusions so he just...gathers information until he's comfortable enough to piece everything together. So while he suspects a lot of stuff, he refrains from any judgements. He's quicker to care about what he can disregard more than what he can suspect. That kind of thing.
> 
> Hopefully that comes across because I actually had to cut dialogue where Matsuda mentions something that's...kinda important and related to that. But maybe it can come into play a little bit later. For now, here it is. Please enjoy and comment if you can because comments make the world go round~ also they make me super super happy~~

_“As Togami Byakuya, I will not allow a single one of you to die. As Togami Byakuya, I can and will ensure it.”_

**_“A body has been discovered! After a fixed period of investigation, please commence to the class trial!”_ **

_Well,_ Matsuda couldn’t help but think wryly. _So much for that._

Unsurprisingly, it was difficult for his idiot classmates to answer a simple question when most of them were screaming, crying, both, or clammed up like a doe in headlights. There was more screaming, some stomping footsteps, and Matsuda looked about.

“Oh my, oh dear. So you’ve all met with a terrible fate, haven’t you? Upupupu...”

Like tinkling bells overhead, Matsuda’s gaze rose to meet with a grinning Monokuma, feet dangling over the chandelier. As he twirled around, the chandelier dropped with incredible speed but stopped just shy of hitting the floor. Souda screeched at that, and Nidai had already held an arm out, but Monokuma just hops off and the chandelier returns to its place as if nothing happened.

“How terrible! Terribly exciting!” he chirps, jumping and clapping his feet in joy. “The stage is set! The first murder for Jabberwock Island! And what buildup!”

_...buildup..._

“Are you just here to fucking gloat, then?” Somehow, he managed to speak up in this utterly bizarre and ridiculous situation. He can hear his heart pounding uncomfortably loud, and tries not to get distracted by Mioda foaming at the mouth on the floor. Sonia sobbing into her hands. Koizumi trembling and ashen. He can’t help but retain an accusatory tone. “Did you know this would happen?”

“K-Know?!” Nidai growled. “So _you_ had something to do with this...!”

“Lil’ ol me? Oh no, no, no!” Monokuma shook his head, giggling. “If I were the murderer, that wouldn’t be fun at all! What kind of easy, lazy twist would that be?! It was one of you. One of you killed Togami-kun because the lost memories weighed on you so heavily that you juuuuuust couldn’t bear it!”

“That’s...”

“There’s...just no way...” Matsuda perks up at those words, lips pursing. His eyes narrow as Hinata shudders. “There’s no way that Togami was just—killed...just like that...” His knees buck. “T-That’s _just_ —!”

Komaeda hurriedly steadies him before he can collapse then and there.

“Hinata-kun...! Hang in there...!” He says that, but he’s trembling, too. He seemed more lucid than before, at least, worried as he was.

“Hmmm, even though I made the announcement, Kuzuryuu-kun still isn’t here,” Monokuma just goes on without a care. “Well, whatever! There’s more than enough of you to do the investigation! You remember the rules, right?” A pause. “Well, if you don’t, you can look it up! The Monokuma file on your electronic handbooks should be updated!” For whatever reason, Monokuma looks at him and the grin is nothing short of smug. “It includes the time of death.”

_So that’s how it’s gonna go._

“I... I refuse to believe this...” Sonia hiccups. “There is just... There is no way one of us would...k-kill...”

“Hey,” Saionji speaks in a tone that actually seems serious for once. “Like it or not, Porkfeet is definitely deader than a doornail. If we don’t find out who killed him...”

“We will be executed,” Pekoyama said. “Our lives are on the line, as regrettable as this situation is.”

“T-There’s just no way!” Hanamura sputtered. He’s shaking so badly that even the words crash into each other clumsily. “Togami-kun—Togami-kun can’t be dead! Not him! I-I... I refuse to believe it!”

“I don’t believe it either,” Komaeda murmured, and it’s almost a miracle that Matsuda managed to hear him anyway. “No one here is capable of killing Togami-kun.”

_Speaking with such cold, hard conviction as the body’s heat fizzles. But... Honestly? Considering the circumstances... Well, **regardless** of the circumstances..._

“We have to investigate,” Komaeda says, louder now, as if hearing those thoughts. He squeezes Hinata’s shoulders. “I believe in everyone, so I have no qualms. Our enemy isn’t each other—but this despairing game that Monokuma set up.”

“Kuma shock! You’re really gonna make a scapegoat out of me, huh?!” Monokuma flailed. “Even though I’m a _bear_! Goodness!”

“Shut it,” Matsuda hissed. “Your machinations are what’s responsible for all this. Don’t play fucking dumb. Don’t you have a shitty trial to prepare?”

“...” Monokuma hums thoughtfully, and then, “Hehe. Guess so! Well, then! Have fuuuun, everyone!”

With one last light-hearted giggle lingering in the solemn air, Monokuma skipped off. Monomi sobbed.

“I-It’s just...so cruel... It’s so horrible... So, so horrible...”

_Yeah. Obviously. But it can’t be helped, right?_

With that in mind, Matsuda stilled his shaking hands.

_It’s only going to get worse, but the only path is forward._

* * *

“Alright,” he says, clearing his throat. “First order of business. Someone needs to help me move Togami’s body out from under the damn table.”

“W-What the hell?!” Souda nearly choked. “What are you saying?! Y-You seriously don’t expect someone to _touch_ that, do you?!”

Matsuda just ignores him.

“When I said I’m perfectly capable of performing an autopsy, I meant it. But I still need someone to move the body so that I can properly examine it.” He clicks his tongue. “So can someone who’s not a fucking wimp step up? Ah, but...” He rifles through his pocket, grimacing as he pulls out a few disposable gloves. “Maybe wear these.”

“S-Seriously?” Souda looked paler than a sheet, but thankfully, Pekoyama and Nidai stepped forward.

“It is for the sake of survival,” Pekoyama said solemnly as she took one pair.

“It must be done,” Nidai sighed, taking another even as his teeth grit in clear distaste.

“U-Um...” Tsumiki stumbles forward, and shakily waves. “I-I can...as...as well...”

“Right,” Matsuda said, and just hands her a pair. “It’s best to have someone else corroborate. You can _do_ that, right?”

“Y-Yes, of course...!” She looks like she’s about to burst into tears and is shaking so badly that the wrong poke could probably cause her to crumble—but she’s also nodding furiously. “O-Of course, of course...! H-Hic...”

 _Beggars can’t be choosers,_ Matsuda thought sullenly.

Nidai and Pekoyama manage to pull out the body, and Nidai gives a ‘heave ho’ before they push it onto its back. Its. That thing was alive not even five minutes prior. Togami’s face is twisted in such a garish way that many people hurriedly looked away. Matsuda’s stare only darkened as he went closer.

It was gruesome, no questions asked. The once pristine suit was soaked with blood, the bitter stench drenching the air with it. Matsuda swiftly undoes the blazer and undershirt to get a better look. As Matsuda drew even closer, he could tell that there were a multitude of puncture marks, spanning from the neck to abdomen.

“A-About 5mm in diameter,” Tsumiki whispers and then gasps as Matsuda quickly closes the shirt. “M-Matsuda-san! You look pale!”

“I don’t like gore,” was his only response before he shook his head. “But I’m not going to slack off just because there’s another semi-medical worker. Even if I’d prefer an actual nurse.”

Tsumiki flinches, but says nothing.

“When I saw the body earlier, his arm had been extended,” Matsuda went on. “There were other items under the table, yeah?”

“A knife and night-vision goggles,” Pekoyama answered. “Nidai and I did not disturb them.”

“But...” Nidai hums. “There’s weird paint _on_ the knife handle. And the knife was splattered with blood, too...”

Matsuda blinks, and he checks Togami’s hands. Sure enough, one palm has particles of gaudy, neon green caught in the crevices.

_So he **was** at one point holding the knife... But a stab wound would be pretty difficult to hide—so the blood on said knife is definitely his. It’s obvious. There was so much blood drenching the scene and an artery was clearly punctured, if his body is any indication._

“No sign of a struggle,” Matsuda droned on. “No signs of poison. The only thing of note is the expression—a common result of suffocation. He was likely choking on his own blood. If bleeding out didn’t kill him, that wouldn’t have helped.”

Nidai’s face twisted, and Pekoyama only looked away. Tsumiki muffled a whimper into her hand.

“It’s a pretty vicious sight,” Matsuda added. “Whoever did this—was probably _real_ fucking pissed. Or anxious. You don’t stab someone this many times if you don’t have shit you’re trying to work out.”

“U-Urghhh...” Nidai hobbled a bit. “I’m...going to need...”

“Please,” Matsuda said. “Feel free.”

Nidai rushed out without further preamble. Matsuda continued his body search, fishing out two keys from deep within Togami’s breast pocket.

_For the Duralumin cases, no doubt. Given Togami’s state when he died, the culprit couldn’t have put them there after committing the deed. There’s not enough space without rattling the table._

With all that said and done, Matsuda consulted the Monokuma file.

_All the same information—killed around 11:30pm. Because of course that fucking bitch of a bear can’t even give me an accurate time. That said, it confirms another observation._

**_“Hey, what do you think you’re doing?!_ Stop _!”_**

_That was definitely Togami’s voice I heard. But—it’s best to have someone corroborate._

“A-Ahhh...what do I do?” Mioda moaned into her knees. “Look for clues? I’m completely clueless!”

“I’m not expecting much from you, either,” Matsuda said, and unsurprisingly, she just whined. “But, there _is_ something I can and _do_ expect.”

Mioda snapped up, sniffling. “Yasuke-chan, you really mean it? So you really do have a sweeter, chewier side!”

_Is she hungry? That’s...weird. But whatever._

“You have sensitive ears,” he said, and to that, Mioda’s eyes sparkled. “Which means, you probably have a better idea of what happened during the blackout than I do. Because not only could you hear everyone’s voices, you could probably differentiate, too.”

“Yes! Piece of cake! Just like how Yasuke-chan is a luscious lemon cake! Even though strawberry shortcake is supreme!” She bounces to her feet and keeps on vibrating. “Just this morning, my cheeks were stuffed! Supremely stuffed! But I still hunger! This is definitely something I can sink my teeth into!”

_Everyone has their way of coping with the aftermath of a brutal murder, I suppose._

“Yes, well, I want you to write and record what you heard,” Matsuda said, rolling his eyes. “And if you do...”

_There’s no way she’s getting any of my fucking cakes._

“You can bite anyone of your choosing that isn’t me. You can bite them as hard as you want. Provided. It isn’t me.”

“Ooh! Okay!” She saluted. “Right away! I’ll write at the speed of light! So fast I’ll even write a song about it!”

“If you’re comfortable with being sued for causing further emotional distress, be my guest,” Matsuda said.

“Oke-doke!”

All things considered, she did write quickly, and her handwriting was legible. There were even notes scribbled on it, such as comments about how insightful her remarks during the blackout were. Truly, a genius for the ages.

_But, it’s something I can work with._

“Thanks,” he said, not sounding terribly grateful. “Now go claim your prize.”

“Yeye! All hail Ibuki!” She whooped. “Three cheers! Hip, hip!”

Matsuda left, reading over the script a few more times as he did.

* * *

“Prize claimed! Chomp!”

“Ack! M- _Mioda_! Oi!” Mioda hurriedly scampered off in glee, leaving Hinata to stare after her at a complete loss. “What even the hell was that _for_?”

“You seemed pretty out of it,” Matsuda remarked, only because he was passing by. Hinata scowled at him but Matsuda blocked his view with the Monokuma File. “You’re going to help with investigating too, right? Hop to it.”

“Urgh...” Hinata groaned but he stands up, Komaeda still hovering close by. “Y-Yeah... Right...”

At the very least, he did get to work after that. Komaeda didn’t follow him, expression rather pensive, but when Matsuda glanced at him, he gave a wan smile.

Matsuda looked away, instead looking through the script once more.

Hinata still seemed rather ill, grimace deepening on his face as he ran his fingers through his hair, over and over. He was lingering around the body, and bit his lip hard enough to bleed. His gaze flickers to the Monokuma File, and his teeth grit.

“Togami...”

Pekoyama’s expression does not change, she diligently remains there guarding the body. Koizumi muffles a soft sob, but she seems to have the same idea, with her eyes darting about the scene for anything and anyone amiss.

“Why...?” Hinata whispered, voice trembling. “Just... _why_?”

“Hinata-kun,” Komaeda speaks in a hushed tone. “Let’s go look at the table.”

“R... Right...”

Matsuda did perk up at that.

_The table... The place where he died... I should get a better look at it._

Hinata is trembling as he draws closer, even with Komaeda patting his shoulder. When Hinata pulls up the tablecloth to expose where the body had been, where there were still smears of blood coating the wooden panels and the back of the sheet, he recoiled violently.

“U- _Urgh_...!”

“Oi.” Matsuda let out a grunt as he hurriedly steadied Hinata as the other stumbled back. “Careful. Idiot.”

“I... It’s just...” Hinata tore his eyes from the place where Togami died, squeezing them shut. “Why did this happen?”

“Someone wanted to escape,” Matsuda said, pulling away. “Or they wanted Togami dead. We can figure that out later.”

Hinata grimaced, but Komaeda stepped in.

“I don’t think anyone here _wanted_ Togami-kun dead, but... I do think we should investigate his death all the same.”

“Yeah, right,” Hinata agreed to that, nodding even with his features tense. “For Togami’s sake, let’s do all we can.”

_...for his sake..._

Matsuda scoffed and shook his head.

“We need a closer look at the crime scene, right?” He cut right to the chase. “Under the table there were a painted knife and a pair of night-vision goggles.”

“So the culprit used the night-vision goggles and stabbed Togami with the knife?” Hinata guessed but paused. “Wait... Where did the knife even come from? Was it swiped from the case...?”

“The knife isn’t the murder weapon,” Matsuda said. “The injuries don’t line up.”

“E-Eh? Then how?”

“Mmm...” Komaeda looks under the table to get a better look. “There’s packing tape hanging from the table’s underside. It’s painted, too. Oh, it’s glowing.”

_Glow-in-the-dark paint? That’s...fucking tacky._

Matsuda frowned.

“...was the blackout planned, then?”

_Come to think of it, earlier there was—_

“B-But what killed Togami?!” Hinata demanded, snapping him out of it. “If it wasn’t the knife—!”

“Save it for the trial, nutcase,” Matsuda hissed, squeezing his face to shut him up. “Keep investigating. We’ll figure this shit out, I assure you. I have no fucking interest in dying to a situation like this.”

“R...Rrr...” Hinata scowled and smacked his hand away, rubbing his face with a wince. “R-Right...”

Hinata looks around the table, even as the sight and stench of blood has a visible effect on him. He distracts himself with the antique lamp sitting atop it for a while, but he hurriedly moves on when Matsuda impatiently clicks his tongue.

“I... Uh... Aside from the smears where the body was moved, the blood seems confined to under the table,” Hinata mumbles, almost lamely. “Was he really killed there...?”

“There’s no doubting it, with those wounds,” Matsuda said dully. “He was cut in a way that _sprayed_ blood.” He swallows, clearing his throat. “The position is a bit weird, though...”

“What...do you mean?” Hinata looked a little dreading of the answer.

“I’m still mulling over it, so let’s move on.” Matsuda folded up the script, pocketing it for now. “There are other avenues we should be looking at in just this room.”

“Such as...?”

Matsuda glanced towards Koizumi, still with her arms crossed and her head ducked. Komaeda perked up, and then tugged at Hinata’s wrist.

“Hinata-kun, let’s just keep looking around. See what we can find.”

“Check the air conditioner,” Matsuda said, clicking his tongue again. “Before the blackout, there was some weird beeping. The only device in this room was that AC unit so there might be something weird about it. Get that dipshit mechanic to help if necessary.”

Hinata’s face pinched up, but he nodded tersely.

“R-Right.”

* * *

“Hey.”

Koizumi flinched and she glared at him but it was much weaker than usual. She didn’t even meet his gaze for long, squeezing her eyes shut and shivering.

“...I noticed,” Matsuda inhaled. “You haven’t been taking pictures, camera girl.”

“Wha—Who could take pictures at a time like this?!” she shot back, aghast. “J-Just what are you—?!” For what it was worth, cold realization quickly dawned on her face. “I... O-Oh... Right...”

 _So she noticed._ Matsuda thought, watching her fidget anxiously.

“I...” Her hands are trembling as she takes up her camera. “I-I guess... I-I should...” She’s stammering, looking dreadfully pale as she does. “I-I... I could...”

“Nah, it’s fine,” he said, shrugging. “I have a photographic memory, and I got a good look at the body. Not to mention the Monokuma File reported the conditions pretty accurately.”

“...I-I see...” Koizumi sucked in her breath. “You really...aren’t too affected by this kind of thing, huh, Matsuda... Doesn’t it freak you out at all...? Togami was just here and now...”

He doesn’t answer that.

“One of us killed him,” Koizumi went on, voice steadying. “You realized that too, right? Who else could have done it...?”

He doesn’t say anything to that, either.

“I should have acted more calmly during the blackout,” she said. “I should have...”

“Yeah, I don’t care.” Matsuda shook his head. “Those should-haves and what-ifs are kinda useless right now. You don’t seriously think that if you kept your head a little that Togami wouldn’t have died, right? Because _that’d_ be fucking stupid unless you’re meaning to tell me that you killed him in a panic or something.”

“I didn’t!” Koizumi shrieked. “I would never—! H-How dare you even accuse me of...!”

“Then don’t try and take any responsibility for what happened,” Matsuda snapped. “If it’s not your fault then it’s _not_ your fucking fault.”

“You...!” Koizumi reddened in anger. “Geez, you’re impossible! Even at a time like this! Just—just forget I said anything!”

“Easy to do,” Matsuda replied. “Since you didn’t say anything important.”

“God, you’re such a jerk!” She manages to catch her breath, and she sighs. “But... I do want to help... And you approached me because I could, right?”

“Could what?” he asked, head tilted.

Koizumi rolled her eyes.

“You asked about pictures. You...” She bites her lower lip. “You wanted to ask about the pictures I took during the party, right?”

“Oh, wow, you figured that out...”

Koizumi scowled but when she looked down at her camera, her gaze hardened. She begins to swipe through them.

“Before the blackout—Togami hadn’t been standing near the table.” She hesitates. “That’s...weird, isn’t it?”

_“Hey, what do you think you’re doing?! **Stop**!”_

“Hey,” Matsuda said. “Do you think you can figure out where everyone’s positions during the blackout had been?”

Koizumi pursed her lips.

“I can certainly try.” She met his gaze, stern and grim. “I also expect you to figure out what killed him. And who. You... Someone like you...even with that attitude...should be able to figure that out. _Right_?”

He waved his hand.

“Eh, probably.”

“W-What do you mean _probably_?!”

“Probably.”

“You really are impossible!” she exclaimed and then shoved him hard. “Just get going! _God_!”

He really didn’t need the extra bit of encouragement.

* * *

Continuing his check, Matsuda also found the duralumin case that Togami had. Opposite side of the room, far from the table where he died. Rifling through, Matsuda picks up a case for the night vision goggles and a key. There were other items, too, usually used for self-defense. A nightstick and a can of tear gas—huh.

_Togami really was prepared for **something** , wasn’t he?_

After checking a few other things, he puts the items back.

_The key’s a perfect fit for this case, so it must be for the other case. So it’s probably still locked. Then what exactly killed him if it wasn’t the weapons in there nor the knife under the table?_

He had a few theories, but without concrete proof, he could only shake his head and move on.

_I still have more to do._

“Mm... Hnnnn...” A low groan, giving Matsuda an exasperated pause. “This...really isn’t good...”

_Urgh. Fuck. She’s still here._

“It’s not good...” She’s shifting awkwardly. Her expression, however, is pretty unchanged from how it usually is. “Really not...good. But we have to stick together, right? Figure out what happened—and honor Togami-kun’s memory.”

“It’s about survival as much as it’s about sentimentality,” Matsuda huffed. “But don’t get fucking high and mighty about it. When the murderer is exposed in the trial, Monokuma’s going to execute them. Can you really call _that_ honoring the memory of a guy who swore that no one would die?”

Nanami’s cheeks puffed.

“...I guess not.” She shook her head, but kept it ducked. “But... Still...”

Matsuda crossed his arms, bristling a little.

“I’ll still do my best, I guess,” Nanami said, keeping her head ducked. “Um... Hinata-kun and Komaeda-kun are trying, too.”

Matsuda looked over to where the two were currently being yelled at by Tanaka. Something about a piercing. Matsuda could not care less.

“I’m gonna look around, I think,” Nanami said, shuffling as she does. “Maybe the culprit used a cheat code or something...”

“Maybe they’re stuck in a wall,” Matsuda droned.

“Oh.” Nanami perked up. “Then I’ll definitely go check. That would be bad.”

Before Matsuda could comment further, she scampered off. Matsuda grimaced, but when he looked down, he pondered.

 _The wall’s an obvious non-issue, but... There **are** a lot of gaps here._ He idly digs the tip of his foot into one of the crevices. _You could fall through the floor if you aren’t careful._

* * *

“The air conditioner’s time was set at 11:30pm,” Hinata reported. “There’s also fire doors linking the kitchen and the hallway. Also... Tanaka is really distraught about an earring he lost. That’s what we’ve found. Is all this really going to help?” A pause. Hinata’s frown deepened. “You were right about the AC unit being suspicious... That’s around the time Togami died, huh.”

“It’s around the time the blackout happened,” Matsuda said. “So that makes it likelier the blackout was the result of foul play and not just an old-ass building having a momentary breakdown.”

“Just the air conditioner wouldn’t be enough,” Komaeda said. “So let’s keep looking around.”

Hinata, meanwhile, looked considerably more troubled.

“Foul play...meaning it was planned...”

“Probably,” Matsuda said. “But let’s keep investigating. Can’t hurt to be too sure.”

“...is that really alright?”

Matsuda blinked, and frowned.

“I’m sorry, do you _want_ to die, then?”

“It’s not that!” Hinata shook his head furiously. “It’s more—surely you realize that _someone’s_ responsible for this, right?”

“Yeah, obviously? Togami didn’t stab himself.” _I already ruled that out._ “What’s your point?”

“ _Someone_ ,” Hinata emphasized. “Which means it could even be any one of us.”

_You’ve only just now let that dawn on you, Hinata Hajime?_

“That’s obvious, too,” Matsuda said, unimpressed. “Do you think I haven’t accounted for that? It just means I won’t drop my guard even around you two.”

Komaeda hummed, frowning.

“Still... That just seems like such a shame.”

“It’s how it is,” Matsuda snapped. “But while we can’t let down our guard, being hampered by doubt is a shittier option. We won’t figure out anything if we aren’t willing to at least attempt working together in spite of this.”

Hinata shivered just a bit. Komaeda crossed his arms.

“Well... For what it’s worth, I definitely believe in you two,” Komaeda said, giving a smile. “Hinata-kun’s easy to talk to, and I feel that we’re very similar in the feelings we share and the kind of people we are.”

“I don’t think so,” Hinata muttered. “Komaeda’s...much better at keeping himself calm.”

 _He is, isn’t he?_ Matsuda couldn’t help but think.

“You certainly try, Hinata-kun,” Komaeda laughed. “Even when you’re clearly struggling and hanging your head, you certainly try!”

Hinata didn’t look all that reassured, but he did give a lopsided smile.

“...thanks... I guess.”

“Hinata’s too sensitive to stab someone multiple times and remain standing,” Matsuda added. “So I don’t think he did it, either.”

Hinata bristled but bit down on his lip, twitching a little with aggravation.

“Despite your harsh demeanor, you really are reliable, Matsuda-kun,” Komaeda chirped. “With you here, I feel just so reassured!”

“He’s really not _that_ helpful,” Hinata grumbled under his breath. “That said...”

“We don’t really have time for this,” Matsuda snapped. “So let’s split up again. We can clear up doubts at the trial, but we need information _now_. You two seem to have a good thing going, so I’m sure you’ll manage something.”

“Right,” Komaeda said, more seriously. “Let’s go, Hinata-kun.”

“Right...”

All that talk about suspicions, and Hinata nods along with only the slightest bit of hesitation.

_Well, good for him. Myself on the other hand..._

There was a place he absolutely needed to check on, and he was almost dreading it more than the execution. Grimacing, Matsuda pushed himself onward.

_That fucking creep said that there was a blackout in the kitchen, too._

* * *

“Oh Matsuda-kun! Checking up on lil’ ol’ me! So there is indeed a sweeter core beneath all that spice!”

“...” _The fact that I was told this by two different people a short time after a goddamn murder..._ “I really couldn’t care less, actually. I’m just gathering up clues.”

“So diligent!” Hanamura squealed. “As expected of a man in uniform! Oh doctor, I may be feeling a tad faint...”

“You should sit down, then.” Like a dog, Hanamura does that. Matsuda rolled his eyes. “Have you been hydrating?”

“I am a bit _thirsty_...” Like a dog, Hanamura pants. “A-And maybe I’d like a treat...?”

**_Repulsive._ **

“Read the fucking mood.” Matsuda directed his gaze elsewhere in disgust. He perks up at what he sees. “If you’re that hungry, there’s still plenty of food here.”

_Including a huge slab of meat. Fuck. That bimbo would go feral if she saw this. It smells good enough to make me salivate but...considering what happened, I’m just going to get sicker. Dammit._

Hanamura laughs, and the sound is strained. He swallows hurriedly, but almost chokes.

“It really is such a _waste_ , isn’t it?” he asked, voice light and high-pitched. “All that preparing, all that passion, and barely anyone had a chance to eat any of it! Haha... Haha...” Just like that, that forced smile dropped in favor of steaming anger. He’s shaking so hard from fury that his teeth are chattering. “I’ll never forgive that culprit for this...!”

“Understandable, I guess,” Matsuda droned, striding over and plucking up a clipboard he saw hanging up. As expected, it was the list of equipment from the kitchen. He read through it. “So the lights went out for you too, right?”

“O-Oh yes!” Hanamura snapped to attention. “I knew about it because that gas stove over there runs on electricity, you see...”

He directed Matsuda’s gaze towards it, and Matsuda acknowledged it with a nod.

“I thought it was just the kitchen, so I made my way out,” Hanamura went on. “But the corridors were pitch black as well! I was able to find my way over from using the wall and listening to everyone’s voices... And everything was still...so very, very dark...”

When he trailed off, there was a strange lull to his voice, as if he had fallen into a daze. Matsuda snapped his fingers, making him flinch.

“A-And that’s what happened! Haha! What wild night this has been! Don’t you think so, Matsuda-kun?”

_I wouldn’t be in the mood for light-hearted banter even without a dead body in the other room._

“I just wanted your testimony,” Matsuda said. “I certainly wouldn’t approach you if my life wasn’t on the line. You’re too dangerous under normal circumstances.”

“So harsh...” Hanamura fiddled with his fingers. “But I am happy to help...”

“Hmph.” _He’s hesitating a lot._ “You can recount that testimony for the trial, right?”

“O-Of course!” Hanamura stammered but nodded hurriedly, as if that’d give the words more weight.

“Alright... But for the sake of insurance, you’re going to have to write it down.”

“R...” Hanamura really does hesitate, but at the click of Matsuda’s pen, he nods again. “Right.”

* * *

Hanamura ends scribbling down his number and Matsuda decides to just ignore that.

 _At least I got what I need. More evidence._ Matsuda reads through the testimony and equipment list. _Most of these I remember gathering with Togami before the party. What really sticks out are the iron plates, the portable gas cooker, and the frying pan for hot pots. The only thing on this list however that fits the description of the weapon is..._

Matsuda paused. He shook his head.

_There’s still the issue of the knife found at the scene. It’s not the murder weapon, but it was placed there beforehand without Togami’s knowledge. However—many elements still don’t make much sense._

So, with that in mind, he really should turn elsewhere for clues. Next up was the storage room. Just getting the door open was a bit of a struggle, and he definitely broke one of the rusted hinges. Whoops.

_You can’t see the hinges from the camera and they were already shitty. Room for reasonable doubt. Moving on._

His pen had a flashlight function, which was great because Komaeda hadn’t been joking about the darkness. Or the dustiness. Or the gloominess.

_It probably would’ve been more helpful during the party blackout. Fucking hell, me._

Matsuda peered about, frown deepening as he did. It certainly was a storage room, with various items haphazardly packed into boxes precariously stacked atop each other. Someone could definitely get crushed to death if any of those went tumbling down. There was, of course, both a security camera and a monitor in this room as well. The only remotely tidied part was the shelves with piles of folded up tablecloths. The cloths would’ve been clean if not for the dust.

_If Komaeda grabbed anything from here, he would’ve needed to wash it. Ick. Look at all these fucking cobwebs. The smell too is stale, dusty, and— **wait**._

He smacked his foot on the wheel of the laundry cart and cursed colorfully. After steadying himself on it, pinching between his eyebrows and muttering angrily to himself for a couple of minutes, Matsuda took a deep breath and shined his flashlight inside.

One of the tablecloths had been hurriedly stuffed within, crumbled up and all wrinkled. Clicking his tongue and hobbling a bit, Matsuda pulled it out and examined. Sure enough, the light caught onto some familiar stains of red on white. _Yeah_. From the appearance and the smell, this was _definitely_ blood. Given the copious amount, it had to be Togami’s.

_This is what the culprit used to shield theirself against the spray. Well. Must have been quite speedy to run from the party to the storage, there and back again._

Matsuda drapes it back over the cart. Clicking his flashlight pen a couple of times for his nerves, he turns his attention to the other side of the room.

Three irons propped on an iron board. Unplugged, but still set up in a way that was likely deliberate.

“...Huh.”

Matsuda clicked his pen a few more times.

“Well, isn’t that strange.”

There didn’t seem to be anything else.

* * *

“Hey, Matsuda-kun!”

It wasn’t long after he left that he was being waved over by a certain someone.

“Oh, Matsuda-kun, did you check the storage room as well? The light was burnt out, so you need a flashlight.” Komaeda smiles as always. “Thankfully I carry one around.”

“Don’t worry about that,” Matsuda replied.

“Did you see the sheets?” Hinata asked, rather tersely. “I thought I saw them bloodied but Komaeda’s flashlight died before he could.”

“Aha, I should’ve replaced the battery sooner, but it was enough to see some plugged-in irons,” Komaeda chirped. “I unplugged them just before the light went out. It really was dark, so I couldn’t see what Hinata-kun was talking about.”

“I-It was definitely blood! I’m sure of it!” Hinata exclaimed, heated. “There’s no way it could’ve been anything else!”

“If that’s true, it’s definitely a possibility, I suppose.”

“I’m telling you...!”

“I hear you, I hear you.”

Matsuda said nothing to that.

“Oh, we checked the office, too,” Komaeda went on. “The weapon case was still locked. And while there were circuit breakers, they were too high for anyone to reach. But, I had checked Togami-kun’s body earlier and I didn’t find any keys to the case...”

“That’s because I took them,” Matsuda explained, voice low. “They were deep in his pocket, though. It’s pretty unlikely the culprit planted them.”

Komaeda blinks a few times. He nods in approval.

“Well, that solves that mystery.”

“Uh...” Hinata cuts in. “Actually, about the breakers... While they probably weren’t messed with, the remote control for the office air conditioner was set for 11:30. Same as before. That’s not a coincidence, right?”

“If I knew, we wouldn’t be investigating,” Matsuda snapped.

_But... No. This is as good as confirmation as any about the blackout. There’s a pretty narrow pool of suspects, now._

“We’ve looked at the lodge pretty thoroughly,” Komaeda said as the other two were still deep in thought. “So, why don’t we check Togami-kun’s cottage next?”

“His cottage?” Hinata parroted as Matsuda regarded Komaeda coolly.

“Well, aha, it can’t hurt to check,” Komaeda laughs weakly. “It’s as good a place as any for any remaining clues.”

_...come to think of it... Togami’s behavior... But also..._

“You seem nervous,” Matsuda observed. Komaeda flinched as he went on. “You’ve been jittery for a while now. Well, considering the circumstances, I shouldn’t be too surprised.”

“Ahaha...” Komaeda rubs at his arm. “Those sharp eyes of yours really can’t be underestimated, Matsuda-kun. That’s another reason why I want you and Hinata-kun to go with me. I trust your instincts, after all.”

“You mean if something were to happen?” Hinata asked before Matsuda could. Matsuda keeps quiet, eyes narrowing as Hinata falters. “Komaeda... Are you scared?”

Komaeda smiled brightly.

“A little—but with you two I feel much safer. I believe in both of you, after all—and isn’t that way better to die with trust than to survive with doubt?”

_...doubt..._

“D-Don’t—!” Hinata balked. “Don’t even say that! It’s way better to _survive_ than to die! That’s why we’re doing all this in the first place!”

“Hinata-kun.” Komaeda’s smile widened. “You really are strong. As expected of someone from Hope’s Peak.”

“Not...really...” Hinata falters, just like that. “What I said was obvious...”

“It sure was,” Matsuda sighed. “So, what the hell was that even _about_? Were you fucking testing us?”

Komaeda doesn’t answer, though that smile remains.

“Forget it.” Matsuda shook his head. “Togami’s cottage, right? Let’s go already.”

* * *

“To be unable to enter that which is incapable of being entered... To be unable to reach the unreachable depths where the portal lies...!”

“Yeah, um... This is looking pretty impossible... I think.”

_Why the hell didn’t I expect to see this?_

It’s a pretty comical sight, all things considered. The chuuni pawing at the wooden barrier between himself and the underside of the lodge, and that other one staring holes into it with her dull, vacant gaze.

“Yeah...” Nanami droned. “You’d definitely need cheat codes to enter through here...or maybe...you’d have to phase through the wall...”

“To pass through like a spirit—!” Tanaka hissed. “That is beyond even my abilities!”

“You have hamsters,” Matsuda spoke up. “All of them except the fat one could probably...”

“YOU DARE ATTACK THE DIGNITY OF CHAM-P?!?!” Tanaka screeched. “Fool of the sharp tongue! Your folly will mar the generations to come!”

“Okay, fine.” Matsuda held up his hands. “I don’t really give a shit about your stupid earring anyway.”

“Wait is that what this is about?” Hinata wondered, hopelessly confused. “The earring?”

“It is the HELLHOUND EARRING!” Tanaka bellowed. “I HAVE TOLD YOU OF THIS BEFORE!!!”

“A-Ack, sorry...” Hinata grimaced. “So, uh, you’re stuck trying to help find it, Nanami...?”

“It’s my own...investigating,” Nanami said with a slow enough blink to give a fly enough time to make friendly with her irises. “To see if the culprit could get inside from the outside... But it’s looking impossible without cheat codes or glitches, I think.”

“So it’s just impossible,” Komaeda chirped. “That’s good to know. It means Kuzuryuu-kun definitely couldn’t have done it.”

“That would’ve been fucking idiotic and stupidly convenient,” Matsuda huffed. “Oh, but... Speaking of the tiger kitten...”

“I saw him while guarding earlier,” Nanami said. “I think—he really wanted to attend but couldn’t bring himself to. Like...a lone wolf party member...only he didn’t join the party... Or maybe a lone wolf protagonist? He feels like he doesn’t fit in, and thus he stands alone... It’s a pretty common trope in RPGs. Especially modern ones.”

“I wouldn’t know,” Hinata said, glancing over. “But it _does_ sound a little familiar.”

“Comparing me to the tough little guy is like comparing grapefruit to grapes,” Matsuda retorted. “Or the cerebrum to the cerebellum.”

“I don’t know what those are.”

“Christ and I even used the more dumbed down comparison I could think of.” He rolled his eyes. “What can I expect from a _nutwit_?”

“I-I got the first part!” Hinata stammered. Komaeda just laughed.

“Still, we’ve narrowed it down. We no longer have any reason to suspect Kuzuryuu-kun of foul play. Isn’t that wonderful?”

“We...” Hinata grit his teeth. “We still don’t know who the culprit could be...”

Komaeda seemed to think that over.

“...mm...”

“Mm,” Nanami droned in return.

“Hmm,” Matsuda hummed.

“E-Excuse me?” Hinata asked, exasperated.

“A seeming impossibility can hide a sliver of capability!” Tanaka boomed. “I shall not be dissuaded! The hellhound earring will return to my possession once more!”

“The gates don’t have any openings, though,” Nanami murmured. “So maybe, um, a secret passage? Entered by a secret code?”

“I haven’t seen anything like that,” Komaeda said cheerily. “This really isn’t a video game, Nanami-san.”

“Mm...”

_Hmm._

Hinata grimaced.

“Are you two even thinking about the murder...?”

“Let’s just move on to Togami-kun’s cottage,” Komaeda said. “Right, Matsuda-kun?”

_...huh._

“Right,” he said, nodding. “Let’s keep going.”

_It’s true that I didn’t see any means of getting under the floorboards before... But let’s not write that one off just yet. Because if that **is** indeed possible—well...._

* * *

_Rattle, rattle._

“Locked,” Hinata said.

“Alright,” Matsuda said, ushering him aside. “ _Now’s_ the time where I can finally kick a door in.”

“What, no?!” Hinata, being the useless buzzkill he was, resists and pushes back. “You can’t do that! We’ll get in trouble!”

“Togami is dead, he’s not gonna care.”

“What about Monokuma?!” the buzzkill shot back.

“We can just ask him, in that case,” Komaeda said. The buzzkill balked.

“ _What_? No—!”

And then, Komaeda cupped his mouth, and shouted.

“Heeeeey, _Monokuma_!!”

Hinata shrieked as the bear bounced in from seemingly nowhere. Rather aggravatingly, Hinata ended up nearly barreling into Matsuda. Even more aggravatingly, Matsuda could tell that from this position and this location, a good fucking shove would likely result in Hinata’s head cracking on the wooden platforms.

_Blood will get everywhere again, and I... I don’t have the stomach for more of that after having to have dealt with a corpse._

Actually, right now he felt considerably ill, and Monokuma’s presence wasn’t helping.

“Whoooo rang?!”

Nor was that screechy fucking voice.

“I did.” Komaeda was just rolling with it, at least. “Since we need to investigate for the trial, can’t you unlock Togami-kun’s door for us?”

“Oho!” Monokuma wiggled his arms. “The trial, eh? Of course, of course! Juuuuust be patient while I perform a special trick! Ba, ba, boom!”

With a clap of his paws, Monokuma let out a series of incantations, did a few twirls, and unlocked the door with a key. And with a ninja flourish, he disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

“How long has that thing been that fucking extra?” Matsuda wondered.

“How long has Komaeda been able to summon it?” Hinata asked.

“I just asked normally,” Komaeda said, twisting the doorknob and pushing it open with his shoulder. “Come on. Let’s go inside.”

Hinata nodded as Matsuda shrugged.

“Pardon for the intrusion,” he muttered to no one in particular before stepping inside.

* * *

Predictably, Togami’s cabin interior was elegant and rich with various texts on the bookshelves. Just as one would expect from a member of the esteemed Togami family.

 _It’s a waste,_ Matsuda thought as he stared at those shelves blankly. _He’s not coming back here. All because he..._

Those two idiots both looked rather sullen, so Matsuda just turned his attention to the strange envelope on the desk. It’s addressed to Togami, and no sender is listed. The handwriting—was god fucking awful.

_It’s almost too easy. Just what the hell...?_

He picks it up, all the same, twisting it to get a better look.

 **_Who_ ** _the hell would even send something like this?_

“What’s that, Matsuda-kun?” Komaeda asked, eyes wide. Hinata jerked to attention as Matsuda pulled out the message.

“Lessee...” The note was crinkled up and folded, but Matsuda straightened it out so that he could read the words written down. He squints. “Wow.”

“W-What is it?” Hinata stammers out.

“This is...a really shitty fucking scrawl... Who taught this idiot how to write?”

“What does it say, Matsuda-kun?” Komaeda urges, wincing as he does.

 _“Watch out. The first murder will happen tonight. Someone will definitely get killed_.” A pause. Matsuda grimaced. “At least I’m pretty sure that’s what it says.”

Komaeda peers over his shoulder and nods.

“Yes... Looks like it.”

“What?!” Hinata grabbed his arm, face pale as he read over the note himself. “What...the hell is this...? A threat...?!”

_What, indeed._

A heavy silence settled on Matsuda’s shoulders. Hinata was trembling, and Komaeda had his mouth covered, gaze averted. A chill hung within that dead man’s cottage, clinging to every book spine and particle of dust.

“Who would send something like this?” Hinata asks, terse and tensed. “And why—wouldn’t Togami tell us?”

_“I would like to be able to turn to you in times of necessity without worry, without fear.”_

_“You really are too sharp for your own good.”_

Togami Byakuya, who took on the mantle of leadership immediately, who was serious and stern. Who swore up and down that there was not to be a single victim of murder under his watch. Who had a history of suspecting and mistrusting others—and yet he embraced that sense of responsibility above all else.

The answer was obvious.

“If something like this got out, people would panic,” Matsuda said, grip on the paper tightening. “Togami wouldn’t have wanted that to happen. In times like this, keeping everyone in line and under control is imperative.”

“Which explains the party,” Komaeda mused. “By keeping everyone in one place, by seizing any and all dangerous items, he really thought that he’d be able to protect everyone that way.”

“...”

Matsuda glanced.

“You really thought that through, huh?” Komaeda doesn’t answer, but he goes on. “Yeah. That’s probably how it was, why he acted the way he did...”

_But, make no mistake, he definitely didn’t trust anyone—because that was the kind of life he lead up until his point. Despite that, he was desperate to keep his word and protect everyone and...likely in part due to taking this all on by himself..._

He ended up dead. Under a table. Blood seeping through rotten floorboards. How the mighty have fallen.

_...what’s worse is that—this is definitely what the sender of this letter wanted. For him to gather everyone together, for him to be driven by paranoia. If you’re planning a murder, you typically wouldn’t send a fucking notice. No, you’d only do that—if you mean to **manipulate** the recipient._

And suddenly, a lot clicked together. Unpleasantness piled upon unpleasantness. Despite the increasing clarity, things only seemed to get darker and darker. Something. Like that.

_There’s still a couple of uncertainties, but things are becoming a lot clearer._

“Hey, Komaeda?”

At that, Matsuda perked up. Hinata fluttered about worriedly, a hand on Komaeda’s shoulder.

“Are you alright? You’re looking, uh, pretty pale...”

“Ahaha.” Komaeda waves his hand. “This is just my normal face, but—I do think I need to step out for a bit. Sorry, I need some time to myself.”

“Oh... Okay.” Hinata pulled away, hesitant. “Will you meet up with us later?”

_Us?_

“Of course, of course,” Komaeda laughs, but the sound is strangled and weak. “Hinata-kun, Matsuda-kun, I’ll be seeing both of you.”

“See you.”

“...yeah.”

Just like that, Komaeda leaves, and Matsuda supposes he should follow suit, with their group separating outside of Togami’s cabin.

Stars glimmered overhead, the night wore on, and there were still things to do.

_I have to check back in with Koizumi, and then...probably get another look at the body... The body... The body..._

Matsuda stumbled, to Hinata’s surprise.

“O-Oi, Matsuda, what...?”

“... _urgh_... I... I’m gonna have to throw up a little. Don’t...mind me.”

“ _What_?!”

For what it was worth, once Hinata realized he was serious, he reacted quickly when Matsuda hurled.

One of the things more bitter than the bile was the situation. The other was the waste of perfectly good food and nourishment.

Still, Matsuda threw up everything after holding back for so long. Once he was done, he was left panting eyes stinging.

_Everything about this is fucking awful._

“So, uh...” Hinata patted his back awkwardly, the corner of his lips twisting. “Even you, huh...?”

“I hate gore,” was the only intelligent explanation he could give.

_But with that, let’s just move on._

The trial was coming up on their heels, and fast.


	8. Trial 1 Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keep things on track. Keep things on track. And if you can't...you have to keep trying.
> 
> Lives are on the line, here. You can't afford to screw up too much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trials are a pain to write because they're mostly just dialogue and there's sixteen characters plus 2 mascots. I probably cut out a lot of Monokuma and Monomi's exchanges but I honestly don't remember. I actually wrote like, all of this in a single night when I was completely spaced out. I wonder if you can tell?
> 
> I feel like you can.
> 
> Well, whatever. I tweaked it a little and hopefully it should be...uh...readable? Yeah.
> 
> Since it's largely following canon events, there's no fancy formatting here. Admittedly, I don't...like the fancy formatting, lol. It's just awkward to read a lot of the time. Sorry for being boring. :'D
> 
> Hhhhhhhh. Anyway. Um. I hope you still enjoy.

_“Thanks for waiting, bastards! Without any further ado, the class trial shall begin shortly! Upupupu! Please make your way to the central island! There is an adorable rock sculpture in my beaaaautiful likeness! Its name, oh so **creatively** chosen, is Monokuma Rock! Once you reach there, proceed through the secret passageway! Upupupu! I’ll be seeing youuuu!”_

Time had run out, and he didn’t have everything he needed for an open and shut case. He had, at least, managed to scrounge up a few last pieces of evidence.

Koizumi had drawn up her map, including the lamp’s cord. He had taken that with a stiff nod and no word of thanks.

He had looked over the body one last time, clarifying matters with Tsumiki and wrote down their findings.

He also ventured to the office for the other duralumin case, using the key to unlock and rifle through it, taking notes on what was there.

He had supposed, briefly, if he should be glad for all the shitty reports he wrote in school to prepare him for all this writing without getting his wrist cramped.

Now wasn’t the time for that.

He had checked with other students for testimonies and any additional observations—but nothing they provided seemed all that useful. Some of them weren’t terribly cooperative even when they had been mildly observative.

_We’re dealing with untrained high school students after all. Still. Fucking hell._

And here they were for now, for better or worse.

Monokuma Rock towered over them, a blight blocking out the starlit night sky comprising of several tacky faces, all with the same goofy grin. It was hideous, so much so that it hurt to look at.

It hurt more when Souda screamed.

And the others were chattering amongst themselves yet again.

“Just what the hell IIIIIIS THAAAAAAT?!?!?!”

“No ordinary people could have constructed this, which means...”

“Togami-san... Now more than ever we need his intellect and leadership, and yet... He is no longer...”

“Byakuya-chan, Byakuya-chan, Byakuya-chan...”

Matsuda grumbled under his breath, rubbing at his temples, eyes narrowing sharply and sweeping across the crowd. Owari is snarling, cracking her knuckles. Tsumiki is shaking like a leaf, sobbing into her curled hands. Hanamura is trembling as well. Hinata is staring up at Monokuma Rock with disbelief. Tanaka has his arms folded with a victorious smirk at his lips.

_Victorious_. It made his gaudy face look even more obnoxious. Matsuda blinked, noting the gleam of an earring.

_Huh._

“Um... Kuzuryuu-kun?” Nanami is looking around slowly. “I don’t see him, I think.”

“Must’ve ran away!” Saionji chirped. “Like the guilty coward he is!”

_Yeah, I’m not surprised either that guy isn’t here yet. But I highly doubt it’ll take long for him to get dragged here._

He was right, as per usual. It wasn’t even a full two minutes before he heard telltale shouting and cursing.

“L-LET _GO_ OF ME, YOU FUCK!!”

“Now, now, that’s no way to talk to your headmaster who’s just trying to include you!”

Monokuma shoves Kuzuryuu before them, cackling as he did. Kuzuryuu stumbles but admirably manages to retain his balance. He straightens up but is still visibly agitated as he burrows his hands into the pockets of his slacks, sneering all the while. He ignores Koizumi when she demands answers, which pisses her off more, and Komaeda is quick to try and defuse the bickering.

“I don’t have fucking anything to do with this,” Kuzuryuu spits. “I was in my room the whole damn time before I heard the announcement! So what if that supposed leader got himself killed! Who cares?!”

“How can you be so selfish and short-sighted?! The rest of us did more than just sit on our asses, you know!”

“K-Koizumi-san! Kuzuryuu-kun! Please! Now is not the time!”

Matsuda sighed, but he doesn’t have to say anything. The ground starts rumbling, and all of them have more important things to worry about.

More shouting. Cries. Shrieks of dread and terror. Even one of the heads of the Monokuma Rock opens its mouth as if to yell.

And an escalator is spat out from its depths, and more than a few people scream at it.

_I’m not even surprised anymore._ Matsuda scowls at it, all the same. _This whole situation is already so fucking bizarre—but right now, I can’t be bothered to care._

His folded up papers weigh heavily in his lab coat pockets. All those observations. All those testimonies. All those findings. All that evidence to be used to expose the shithead who murdered the one guy willing to try and rally this band of hapless fucking idiots.

_And anyone else—not even worth thinking about. Not right now._

“Well, if you’re not done arguing, you can dish it out at the trial!” Monokuma says cheerily, bouncing onto the escalator. When Matsuda follows him, he seems delighted. “Well! Someone’s already impatient! Upupupu! I’m really looking forward to how things turn out!”

“What the hell are you ugly slack-jawed morons still gawking at?” Matsuda snapped at the rest of them over his shoulder. “Hurry the hell up. We have a goddamn murder trial ahead of us.”

He takes in a couple of expressions. Souda’s bewilderment. Nidai’s gritted teeth. Hinata’s uneasy grimace. Kuzuryuu’s glare. Komaeda’s tense smile. Komaeda is the first to step forward.

“We really should get going...”

“Just uuuup the escalator and doooown the elevator!” Monokuma exclaims as the others shuffle on after him and Matsuda. “The trial awaits!”

He bounces into the darkness—and then once Matsuda enters the inside of said elevator, he finds that Monokuma is nowhere to be seen.

The others push past him, some of them muttering to each other. Snippets of conversations detailing disbelief and exasperation that Matsuda couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to. And then, the doors shut with a tone of finality, and everyone quiets as the elevator hums to life.

As it descends, Matsuda can only hear his thrumming heartbeat alongside the droning. In times like this, in this cramped as hell little space for sixteen people, it was suffocating and yet, all Matsuda could really think about was how it’s only slightly bearable because there was _only_ sixteen. And not the full seventeen.

Because Togami wasn’t here. And he never would be. Because.

_Someone here killed Togami Byakuya. And whoever that person is..._

Matsuda rubs at his neck, popping a few joints and willing himself to still.

_They’re gonna be dead, too, before the night is over. I’ll make sure of it._

* * *

The trial room is predictably fucking tacky, lit up with some truly ghoulish red lighting, with trial stands all in a circle. Seventeen of them to be precise, each marked with a name, only one marked by a portrait of Togami Byakuya with a tackier red X painted over that unimpressed yet still dignified face.

Monokuma’s chair is built more like a throne, and nearby, Monomi dangles helplessly in the air, tied up and sobbing. Matsuda only regards her coldly as he makes his way to his designated spot on one of the sides by the portrait.

_It’s ironic, isn’t it. You had acted like I should be by your side before._

There are some voiced complaints, mostly from Kuzuryuu, but it isn’t long before all of them follow suit. Nanami Chiaki is on his other side, but Matsuda notes Komaeda steadying himself on his own stand, and Hinata doing the same, eyes sunken but determined.

Monokuma reiterates the rules from before.

“Find and vote for the true culprit! The culprit will be punished if voted correctly! However, if you’re wroooong, everyone except the culprit will be punished instead sooo— _watch out_! Upupupu!”

“So cruel,” Monomi sniffled. “Those rules are so, so cruel...”

“By the way, the culprit is deeeeefinitely one of you,” Monokuma went on cheerily. “Isn’t that sad? Well, no fear for this is a fair and unbiased trial! Aside from Monomi, there’s nothing worse than double standards and injustice!”

“Y-You really think I’m that bad...?!”

Matsuda rolled his eyes.

“Anyway! Let’s begin!” With a hit of the gavel, Monokuma announced brightly, “Trial is now in session! Fight, fight, with all your might!”

_Clack, clack!_

The smack of a gavel.

“So,” Sonia speaks firstly and calmly. “How shall we begin?”

“Rather than chat it out, let’s fight it out!” Owari exclaimed. “Whoever it is—we’ll just _beat_ the truth right out of ya!”

“Do you plan on doing that all at once or individually?” Matsuda snapped. “Figure that out first.”

“H-Hey...!” Owari’s bravado dropped, just like that. “That’s not fair, I’m not any good at that!”

“T-Then how are you supposed to be any actual help?” Souda muttered, likely under his breath as to not unwittingly volunteer himself as the first for a truth-beating.

_Idiots with their best foot forward._

“To truly start, we need to lay down the framework of what we know,” Matsuda said. “So, in layman’s terms, the basics.”

“Such as where Togami was killed, right?” Kuzuryuu asked. “That’d be the reception hall, where the culprit probably was.”

“Oh, sure, you’re just saying that so that we don’t suspect you,” Koizumi retorted.

“It’s got nothing to do with me,” Kuzuryuu shot back. “It’s your business not mine that Togami got fucking murdered.”

“Except you’ll also die if we don’t pin down the true culprit,” Matsuda pointed out, to rising anger in Kuzuryuu’s face. “Stop being a little bitch and pull on your big boy pants. We all need to cooperate if we wanna fucking get anywhere and _not_ fucking die.”

“W-Why _you_ —!”

“N-Now, now!” Komaeda hurriedly exclaimed. “Why don’t we just shift gears to other points of interest?”

“Points of interest?” Hanamura asked before lighting up and waggling his brow. “I have _quite_ the interesting point...” He trails off when Matsuda glares at him, instead laughing nervously. “But, aha, I guess now is not the time for that...”

_It will never be the fucking time._

“Points of interest being the location of the body, the state of the body, the time of death, and other potential venues,” Matsuda said. “In the case of the location, let’s be more specific than just the reception hall.”

“So under the table,” Komaeda said, humming thoughtfully. “That was strange, wasn’t it? How did Togami-kun end up there?”

“They could’ve moved it,” Souda suggested.

“To hide it!” Mioda added. “Like a dog embarrassed about its mess!”

“Most dogs don’t have the situational awareness to be embarrassed,” Matsuda cut in. “And there’s also no way that the body could’ve been moved. Did you forget about the blood, mister mechanic?”

“I-It’s Souda and don’t remind me of something so gruesome!” Souda yelped. “And w-what do you even mean?!”

“While there were blood trails,” Hinata mused. “That had been from Matsuda directing Nidai and Pekoyama to move it before so that he could get a closer look at it.”

“Key word being _and_ , right?” Matsuda asked. “Because even though you’re the beefiest one here, you still needed help to move Togami, right, Coach Meathead?”

“Meat?!” Owari exclaimed as Nidai laughed.

“Hahaha! Ya got me! I wasn’t able to move him on my own, so I needed Pekoyama’s help!” he exclaimed, rubbing at his neck. “She really is a lot stronger than she looks!”

“It was still considerably heavy, however,” Pekoyama murmured. “So no one here is able to move Togami on their own.”

“So it’s pretty unlikely the body was moved by the culprit!” Koizumi said. “Good catch, Peko-chan!”

_I was the one who pointed that out, y’know. Whatever._

“I was so sure I was onto something,” Souda lamented, to which Saionji giggled.

“Stupid, ugly, _and_ boring! What do you even _live_ for?”

“P-Praise...! I-I live for praise!”

_What **ever**._

“So why was the body under the table, then?” Mioda asks. “Why, why, how come?”

“Are you asking why there was a corpse under a table?” Matsuda retorted. “It’s because Togami was killed under that table. The only way Togami could’ve gotten there is voluntarily.”

“So Togami-kun went under the table of his own record,” Komaeda said. “But why would he do that?”

Matsuda glanced at him.

_Hah._

“Why, why, how come?” Mioda repeated.

“To jump out and surprise us?” Owari suggested.

“I do not think Togami-san was the type,” Sonia responded.

“M-Maybe he just panicked and ducked for cover?” Hanamura suggested.

“That’s for _EARTHQUAKES_!” Nidai roared.

“Perhaps the reason _does_ has more to do with Togami-kun’s actions at the time,” Komaeda said.

“...you mean like the knife?” Hinata wondered, just looking a little bit lost.

“Definitely the knife,” Matsuda affirmed. “Prior to the party, Togami had confiscated every dangerous item he could find from skewers to silverware. If he noticed that knife under the table, he would’ve gone to retrieve it.”

“While Togami had unyielded caution to be sure, how was he to have noticed the malicious glimmer of the blade?” Tanaka asked. “And so tardily in the dusk?”

“It’s malicious, alright!” Mioda agreed. “The kind of thing that just screams, _I dun did it_!”

“It didn’t,” Matsuda muttered.

“Togami couldn’t have known about it earlier,” Koizumi said. “If he did, he would’ve removed it sooner.”

“So maybe, um...” Nanami pointed to nothing in particular. “Maybe he noticed it then and there, like, maybe he saw someone...”

_Someone..._

“Impossible.” Pekoyama cut her off. “Because of the blackout.”

_No, wait._

“Yeah! Way too pitch black!” Mioda exclaimed.

“Too dark to even see the food I kept eating in front of me!” Owari agreed.

“Thus, impossible,” Pekoyama affirmed.

“No, that’s wrong. It’s possible.” He made his voice loud and clear. “Pekoyama, you _saw_ the night vision goggles under the table when I had you move the body. The hell are you saying, then?”

“Oh, those?” Pekoyama did seem a little taken aback. “I did not...”

“Hold on!” Koizumi exclaimed. “How do you know Togami used those goggles and not the culprit?! Wouldn’t that make way more sense?”

“It’d make even less sense,” Matsuda hissed. “Because those night vision goggles came from a duralumin case that _Togami_ brought with him. And the case could only be opened from a key that was _still_ on his person.”

“Wait...” Koizumi frowned. “Really?”

“I-I did see a storage case earlier,” Hinata added. “I didn’t know what it was, but the night goggles could’ve been a perfect fit.”

“Is that also where the knife came from?” Hanamura asked. “That’s... That’s possible, right?”

_Truth be told, I did consider Togami using the knife for self-defense, however..._

“There was packing tape dangling from the table’s underside,” Hinata said. “That was probably used to hold the knife in place.”

“As diligent and vigilant as Togami is, the table undersides were a blind spot, huh,” Nidai mumbled.

“So, then, he must’ve seen someone go under the table after all,” Koizumi said, frown deepening. “But... Who?”

“Indeed, who would be so underhanded and cowardly?!” Tanaka seethed. “That who will not expose thyself now...! Be warned!”

“But, is it not quite strange?” Sonia asked. “I apologize for diverging the topic, however—was Togami-san’s manner of preparation and precaution not quite meticulous? To think, he would go through all those efforts and the murderer was unimpeded. What kind of person would do such a thing?”

Komaeda hummed thoughtfully.

“Perhaps... Someone that Togami-kun may have been prepared for.”

“P-Premonitions?!” Tanaka gawked. “Was Togami in possession of the Evil All-Seeing Eye as well?!”

“He wouldn’t have been fucking killed, then,” Matsuda said, rifling through his pockets for his papers. He found the one he needed, unfolded it, passing it around. “Someone here can read chicken scratch, right?”

“I-I can,” Hanamura squeaked. “I’m quite proficient in all poultry-related manners, even the colloquial.”

Matsuda grimaced, but he had the notice passed around. He didn’t really want to handle it after it had been in Hanamura’s sweaty, grubby fingers, but he watched closely as Hanamura’s face paled even further.

“T-This is...”

“A _threat_ ,” Kuzuryuu snarled. “I saw it, too.”

“We found it in Togami-kun’s cottage,” Komaeda informed them. “It was sent by someone.”

“Like Monokuma, right?” Saionji asked.

“No opposable thumbs,” Matsuda said before Monokuma could speak. He fumes a little in the corner of his eye; Matsuda just goes on. “But regardless of the who, for now—isn’t that note reason enough for Togami’s behavior?”

“It was also likely why Togami-kun threw a party,” Komaeda recounted. “To gather everyone in a single place where we could all closely watch one another, so that any would-be culprit would be dissuaded.”

Matsuda said nothing to that.

“Even if it had been a stupid prank,” Hinata went on. “Togami had swore there wouldn’t be a single victim. He couldn’t take any chances. With Togami’s strong sense of responsibility—of course he’d take something like that seriously.”

_And he couldn’t divulge what he was going through._ Matsuda thought, lashes lowered. _Because Togami, biggest dumbass of them all, was unable to truly trust anyone._

He raked his fingers through his hair, aggravated.

_What would I had done if I had just known? Well... There’s no fucking point in wondering that now. **Goddammit**. There’s more to it than just that..._

“If he let this known to everyone, it would’ve just thrown us into chaos,” Komaeda said, lamenting. “The responsibility he decided to carry alone as leader—is what led to his downfall.”

“W-Who the hell wrote the letter?!” Owari sputtered. “Who the fuck did it?!”

“Who else but the culprit?” Koizumi murmured forlornly. “Who else...?”

_...mmrgh._

“Will thy discard their cowardice now?!” Tanaka bellowed.

“If they did that, why even murder in the first place?” Saionji snapped. “Besides to satisfy some disgusting form of guilt.”

_Guilt..._

It was then that Matsuda looked around at his classmates’ faces once more. Tumultuous. Consternation. Turmoil.

_A lot of them just look like they’d rather be home right about now. I can’t blame them._

**_I bet the culprit feels the same way._ **

“There is something that negs me,” Sonia speaks up once more.

“O-Oh! Don’t you mean nag, Sonia-san?” Souda asked, grinning immediately like a freak. “But don’t let me interrupt! What was it?”

“It is the matter of the blackout,” she said. “Forgive me for adding onto the subject belatedly, but if Togami-san was the one in possession of the night-vision goggles, how, then, did the culprit prevail against the absolute darkness as well?”

“...” Matsuda thought that over. “It was by a means that none of us could have noticed.”

_And considering how Togami was killed... I have a good theory, but..._ He clicks his tongue in irritation. _I have to make sure everyone else can follow. If one damn idiot gets completely left behind, we could get potentially screwed._

“Maybe a landmark?” Nidai suggested. “Though I’m not sure how the culprit would be able to see it.”

Matsuda thought that over.

_Wait... No... I think... I think I’m beginning to get a clear picture._

And it wasn’t a flattering one. Of fucking course it wasn’t. Togami died as result of this.

_Shit... Shit, shit, shit... But we have to take this slowly. Carefully. Or this could potentially be more disastrous than a rushed, botched surgery._

Ba-dump. Ba- **dump**.

“The packing tape,” Hinata said. “It was coated in glow-in-the-dark paint. It...and the knife.”

_The knife that Togami fucking grabbed. What the hell was he thinking?!_

“Wouldn’t that mean, that... T-The culprit painted them in advance?” Tsumiki asked.

Matsuda bit his lip.

“If that’s true, then, wouldn’t that mean the culprit knew about the blackout in advance as well?” Koizumi asked.

Matsuda bit hard enough to taste bitter iron and nearly gagged.

**_Fuck...!_ **

“They must’ve known,” Nanami affirmed. “They wouldn’t have used glow-in-the-dark paint otherwise, right? Unless they had future sight. Then, they wouldn’t have needed that, I don’t think.”

“So the culprit caused the blackout,” Saionji said. “Riiiight?”

**_No—_ **

“R-Right! In fact...! In fact...! In fact, I think I know who it is!” Souda exclaimed.

Matsuda perked, tense, but when he saw who Souda had dramatically pointed at, he wanted to scream.

“Pekoyama! Right? It had to be Pekoyama! She was the only one in the room with the circuit breakers!”

“WHAAAA?!” Mioda shrieked. “The glasses girl killed the glasses boy?! We’re losing both pairs of glasses in one fell swoop!”

“I did not do it,” Pekoyama said simply, with the slightest twitch in her features.

“She said she didn’t do it,” Owari said.

“A-And you just believe her?!” Souda yelled. “You _shouldn’t_!”

“We shouldn’t just believe the impulsive ramblings of some idiot in gaudy fucking yellow either,” Matsuda pointed out, teeth gritted.

“E-Eep! I-Impulsive? I-It’s not gaudy...!” Souda almost looked ready to cry but, admirably or idiotically, he pushed on. “B-Besides, who else could’ve done it?!”

“If you just fucking waited until jumping the goddamn gun, you’d figure that out,” he snapped, glaring.

“H- _Hey_!”

“You don’t need to get so heated, Matsuda-kun,” Komaeda said, waving his hands shakily. “Ahaha, even if I agree Souda-kun’s impulsive...”

“W-Why?!” Souda stammered. “What the hell, Matsuda?! Do you like her?! Is _that_ it?”

“She’s not tall enough to reach the fuse box,” Matsuda said simply, not even deigning the inane shit with acknowledgement. “There’s no stools around, either.”

“S-So?” Souda huffed. “What’s your point?”

“My point is that there’s no proper explanation for _your_ point, dumbass,” he seethed. “Your entire argument hinges on this and if you can’t provide proper explanation, it’s not even worth listening to.”

“B-But...!”

“There _are_ other means of causing a blackout,” Komaeda quickly said. “You don’t necessarily have to flip the breakers, right, Souda-kun?”

“Well...” Souda deflated. “I mean...if you had a remote, then... I could probably build something like that easily...”

“Should I accuse you, then, _Mechanic_?” Matsuda asked darkly.

“I-I didn’t do it!” he shrieked. “I-I get it, I get it! I need more evidence! Get off my back! I-I’ll come up with something!”

“Maybe they _damaged_ the fuse box?” Mioda suggested.

“Would that get them in trouble?” Nanami wondered.

“There could be other means of tampering,” Pekoyama mused.

“Perhaps of the power lines themselves?” Sonia asked.

“Maybe we just overloaded it,” Koizumi said.

_That’s it._

“No,” Matsuda said. “There’s no maybe. I’m _positive_ that’s what happened.”

_Pekoyama was only ever in the office room, but outside of that..._

“Someone plugged up three irons in the storage room,” he said. “And they also...”

“Set the AC for 11:30,” Hinata finished, eyes going wide. “And with those irons, and everything else...”

“Then a blackout was inevitable, in that shoddy fucking building,” Matsuda said. “The blackout wasn’t just known about beforehand, it was methodically planned.”

“11:30 was when Togami was killed!” Nidai roared. “So the AIR CONDITIONER was the trigger?!”

“I feel ashamed,” Pekoyama murmured. “I was unable to quickly reset the breakers at that time.”

“Both of them were too high to reach,” Kuzuryuu huffed. “So it couldn’t be helped.”

“All the same, this sure was planned out, huh?” Saionji asked. “They’re slick and slimy, that culprit.”

“While it’s definitely true this was the result of foul play...” Matsuda trailed off. “Let’s not overestimate the culprit.”

_Because..._

“There’s nothing to worry about, right?”

Matsuda perked. Komaeda’s smile was practically blinding.

“It’s just some _murderer_ ,” he said, voice alit. “Whoever it is—they’re no way _any_ match for symbols of hope. There’s no way we’ll lose.”

_Komaeda, just what..._

“This incident is nothing more than a stepping stone! In the end, hope will win! I’m sure of it!”

**_The hell?_ **

“What are you saying?” Hinata asked, almost a little too quietly. Somehow, Komaeda still turned to him, eyes wide.

“Hmm? What’s wrong, Hinata-kun?”

“Before, you said that no one here is capable of killing Togami.”

Komaeda blinked. Once. Twice. “Ah...”

“Except Togami is dead right now,” Matsuda said, gritting his teeth. “Someone did kill him. Let’s focus on that. Stay on track.”

**_But..._ **

“But it’s just...odd...” Hinata faltered. “Komaeda, I... N-Never mind...”

“It’s fine!” Komaeda chirped. “Let’s get back to the important matter of hand... The incident!”

“We know now that it’s the result of foul play,” Matsuda said. “But how do we _know_ —?”

“Who could have done it?” Komaeda guessed. “Well, that’s just a sticky question, isn’t it? _Anyone_ could have set up the air conditioner or the irons.”

_No. That’s not what I was about to say. That’s not what I was about to say and you fucking **know** it._

“W-What are you trying to say?” Kuzuryuu demanded.

_What are you trying to **do**?_

“After all that, we’re just at square one,” Saionji said, trembling. “We haven’t actually come any closer to figuring out who did it.”

_Of course not. Because it’s not just one person who acted out of line._

“Unfortunately, that is so,” Komaeda said, sighing. “All this discussion, all this debate, and we haven’t found a single clue to the true culprit.”

_But one particular person—_

“Perhaps there isn’t even a culprit among us,” Komaeda went on. “After all, there’s no one here who would’ve wanted Togami-kun dead.”

**_—is being a serious fucking pain in the ass right now!!_ **

“That doesn’t make any sense!” Hinata cried out. “Komaeda, just what are you saying _now_?!”

“Well, honestly, I’d like to make a proposition,” Komaeda said while Matsuda trembled in thinly-veiled agitation. “Isn’t this situation too _hopeless_? Isn’t having to doubt everyone around you too _painful_? Don’t you think—it’s better to die with faith than to suspect to survive?”

“A-Are you just saying we give up and die?!” Mioda yelped.

“Don’t even joke about that!” Hinata yelled. “We did all that investigating, _together_ —and we got this far...!”

“But we didn’t get anywhere, right?” Komaeda asked, making Hinata recoil in shock.

“K... What the hell are you saying, Komaeda...?! What’s _wrong_ with you?!”

“You’re rambling,” Matsuda said, lowly and dangerously. “Maybe you should just stop talking.”

“But I can’t stand this! I can’t stand any of this!” Komaeda exclaimed, expression breaking. “We’re just arguing and accusing one another and isn’t that nonsensical? Isn’t that just too _awful_?”

 “So what if it is?!” Matsuda shot back. “That’s just the nature of the situation!”

“It’s **_awful_**!” Komaeda’s voice rose. “Let’s just stop all of it! Is finding the culprit really so important that we tear ourselves apart over it? Aren’t we supposed to be a class?”

_...a class..._

“I-I...” Hanamura squeaks. “I don’t...like it either...I wanna go home...”

“I-It is awful,” Tsumiki whimpers. “I-I just...I want to go home...”

“ME TOO!” Saionji wailed. “THIS SUUUUCKS! I WOULD WAY RATHER BE HOME EATING CANDY!”

“S-Stop it!” Koizumi cried, trembling as her eyes welled up with tears. “I-If... If all of you, then... T-Then I, too...”

And just like that, chaos.

“H-He’s right—all this time and we ain’t found nuthin’!”

“We have discussed and discussed, and yet...!”

“The truth still eludes us!”

“No, _listen_ to me...”

“I-I feel like I have even less idea of what’s goin’ on...!”

“Fuck...!”

“Can you all just settle down for one fucking...!”

“What are we even doing...?!”

“ _Guys_...!”

“I-I want to go home...”

“I wanna go home...”

_“I just want to go home!!!”_

“E-Everyone, please, just calm down...!”

“SHUT _UP_!”

Not a single person seemed to hear him, but one person's voice remained loud and disgustingly clear.

“We’re a class,” Komaeda said. “There’s no way any one of our fellow classmates would kill someone.”

“But Togami’s still dead!” Hinata yelled. “If that’s really true, then _why_ —?!”

“Who cares why?” Komaeda sighed heavily. “It’s so tiring. Let’s just give up.”

_You’re saying that—_

“Shut up,” Matsuda snapped, heart pounding. “Just...shut up. For the love of god.”

_You’re **saying** that—_

Komaeda kept talking.

“After all...”

_Hey—_

“There’s not a single clue leading us to the culprit, right?”

_Aren’t you painting a huge target on your back right now?!_

“Mmm...”

Nanami hummed, and then, she tilted her head.

“It’s possible...to clear any kind of game as long as you don’t give up, right?”

“Eh, what?” Komaeda laughed, seemingly taken aback by that. “Nanami-san, what are you saying? This is real life, not a game.”

_It hurts. Randomly, obnoxiously, it fucking hurts._

Matsuda grimaced, holding his head.

_But...what’s worse is this rising dread. I need... I need..._

“Well, I think Komaeda-kun is wrong,” Nanami said. “I _think_ he’s wrong.”

Komaeda’s smile dropped.

“What are you _saying_?”

**_I need to regain control of this situation._ **

“We have a clue that points us to the killer, maybe. If not the killer, then someone who at the very least is suspicious. Right?” Nanami looks directly at him. “Right, _Matsuda_ - _kun_?”

_She’s putting me on the fucking spot. This bitch._

“Urgh...” Matsuda rubbed at his temple. “For fuck’s sake... We don't have time for this.”

_Just like that, her gaze bores into me._

“Matsuda-kun,” she said. “Earlier—you were asking Koizumi-san about pictures. Right?”

“You _overheard_ that?”

Her eyes narrow sharply. They’re cold and blank, like a judgmental doll.

_Just what the hell is she going for? No, I know. I’m not stupid._

“I did,” he replied gruffly. “She drew up a map. Despite her unreasonable fucking behavior, she has good intuition.”

“The insult was unnecessary!” Koizumi snapped before it dawned on her. “Wait... That’s right... That’s right...! The map!”

“The map?” Hinata asked.

“Matsuda-kun,” Nanami said. “You have it, right?”

_Fucking **hell**. You're really pushing it._

Shakily, Matsuda pulls it out, and unfolds it.

“I already looked at it thoroughly, and I already considered what you’re thinking,” he said. “It’s impossible. Utterly impossible. So let’s just skip it. There are other things to talk about.”

“Skip it?” Hinata repeated. “Matsuda, what are you talking about?”

“It doesn’t matter, all I’m saying is that it’s fucking impossible.” He spits the words at Nanami so that there’s no confusion. “So don’t fucking badger me. Let’s... I have a better idea of how to go about this.”

“Matsuda.” Koizumi’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Show everyone the _map_.”

“There’s no  _need_ to,” he bit back. “It’s irrelevant. It doesn’t actually tell us anything about the culprit. So let’s talk about something else. The murder weapon...”

“What the fuck are you getting so cagey for?” Kuzuryuu asked, growling. “Are you fucking hiding something?”

Matsuda doesn’t answer that.

“H-Hey, Yasuke-chan, you know you’re acting suuuuper suspicious right now,” Mioda said, frowning. “And your voice is carrying a loooot of discord.”

Matsuda kept his lips pressed closely together.

“Matsuda,” Hinata said. “I don’t know what’s up with you—but you really are acting weird, even for you.”

“D-Did he do it?!” Souda exclaimed.

“H-He couldn’t have!” Tsumiki exclaimed. “A-At least... I don’t think it’s possible... H-He was... Um... U-Um...”

“Um, _what_?” Hanamura asked, but Tsumiki was shaking her head fervently.

“Matsuda-kun,” Komaeda said cheerily. “I think maybe you should share with the class.”

**_Damn_ ** _you._

“You fucking took the pictures, right?” he snapped, turning to Koizumi. “So shouldn’t you _know_ already?”

Koizumi reddened with anger, and then, she takes her camera and flicks through its pictures.

“I don’t understand at all why you’re being so tight-lipped about this,” she gripes. “Even for you, it’s beyond aggravating. But, earlier, when I drew my map, I accounted for the lamp on the table where Togami had died.”

She passed the camera around, so that everyone could see. Hinata looked at it the longest.

“What about the lamp?” Owari asked. “You can’t use that during the blackout.”

“They didn’t use the lamp,” Hinata said, quiet and gaze hooded. “They used something else.”

“Eh? Something else?”

“Here’s the stupid fucking map,” Matsuda practically shoved it into Nanami’s face. Unaffected, she just passes it to the next person, who passes it to the next and the next. “God, you already connected the fucking dots. But as I said, it’s impossible.”

“Clarify your words, sharp-tongued one,” Tanaka growled.

“I shouldn’t have to hear that from the fucking chuuni dumbass using overlord speak.”

“I don’t know what Matsuda means,” Hinata says, and once he receives the map, his grip on it is tight enough to bleed wrinkles into the page. “But... I get it, now. The culprit didn’t use the light, they used the cord.”

Matsuda folded his arms, fuming.

**_...I have to regain control over the situation. But I might not be able to stop this ball from rolling._ **

“You can use the cord as a guide,” Hinata explained. “There were two people who stood by the cord. One of which was Matsuda.”

“S-So Matsuda—?!” Souda gasped.

“T-That’s impossible!” Tsumiki wailed. “B-Because...! Because...!”

_I was pinned under that bitch at the time of the killing._

“H-He was, um...” Tsumiki stammers, looking truly ashamed and yanking at her hair. “H-He was with me...d-during the blackout.”

“What?!” Hanamura shrieked.

“Grooooss! Don’t remind me of such a sickening display!” Saionji screeched. “You disgusting slutty sow!”

“I-I’m not a slutty sow!” Tsumiki sobbed.

_Fuck... **Fuck**..._

“Just shut _up_ ,” Matsuda muttered darkly. “All of you need to stop jumping to conclusions.”

“No,” Hinata said, swallowing. “Given Matsuda’s position with Tsumiki, he definitely couldn’t have done it. So that leaves...one other person.”

“P-Position?” Hanamura whispered.

“Shut _up_.” Matsuda’s voice rose. “And _listen_ to me...”

“...Komaeda.”

Finally, Hinata raised his head, and met the other’s gaze, one desperate and pleading as the other goes wide.

“It was you, wasn’t it?”

Komaeda stood there, frozen.

“If it wasn’t Matsuda, it had to be Komaeda,” Nidai said lowly.

“Aha, that...” Komaeda waved his hands, smile twitching. “T-That’s just a coincidence...!”

_Oh, come on,_ Matsuda thought bitterly. _You can’t even think up a better lie?_

“Komaeda-kun,” Nanami said. “Didn’t you also have a chance to set up the knife beforehand, too?”

“That’s right,” Hinata agreed with little enthusiasm. “You were cleaning for most of today since this morning. You had more than enough time to stow away the knife. To set up _everything_.”

“Coincidences,” Komaeda managed weakly.

“You were the one who set up the drawing for who cleaned,” Koizumi said scathingly. “Was that coincidental, too?”

“One is one thing, but three is another,” Nanami said dully. “It’s pushing the bounds of luck, for sure.”

Komaeda jumped, face twisted up.

“Was that strange act of yours also planned?!” Nidai demanded, to which Kuzuryuu looked steamed.

“You fucking asshole! You were trying to bring everyone down so that you didn’t get found out!”

**_Oh for fuck’s sake!_ **

“Your cowardice knows no bounds!” Tanaka booms. “There is nowhere to hide, now! The truth has been revealed to my All Knowing Eye!”

“Is that it?!” Koizumi screamed. “Is that true?! Tell us! Right this instant!”

Komaeda’s entire body shuddered, a jolt from his spine to his brain stem. His face contorted even further, with a distorted, strangled noise.

“Oi...” Matsuda felt exhausted just looking at him. “Komaeda...”

“If you object to any of this, go right on ahead, let’s hear it!” Hinata exclaimed, voice trembling just the slightest bit. “H...Honestly, I don’t want to believe it, either. We investigated together, and you’ve been kindly helping me from the start... I don’t want to think you’re the one who killed Togami...!”

“He _isn’t_ ,” Matsuda cut in desperately. “Look, I know it looks that way, but...!”

“Matsuda.” For once, Matsuda is stopped by just that tone in Hinata’s voice. “I want to hear it from Komaeda.”

_Ah... **Fuck**._

“Komaeda,” Hinata tries again as Komaeda’s fingers get tangled up in his hair, as Komaeda wheezes. “Please. _Please_. Just... _Say_ _something_!”

“...gh...hhh...nngh...”

Komaeda made some pitiful as hell noises, and they kept getting more strangled, more agitated.

_Truth be told, I want a damn explanation, too. But I didn’t want it under these circumstances._

He really felt stupid. Thinking he could avoid this. Komaeda convulsing, Komaeda shaking.

“Nngh... Ggghh... H-Hhhhngh...”

_In times like these... In times like these...the best thing to do is just..._

“Hhh...hh...ah...”

_Just..._

“Aha...”

_Huh?_

Blinking, Matsuda now paid close attention to Komaeda. Still curled in on himself. Holding himself together. And shaking.

Shaking with laughter.

“Ehe... Hehe... Hehehehehe...”

And he when he throws his head back, the laughter becomes more boisterous. And more broken.

“ ** _AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA_**!!”

That wheezing, wailing laughter grew more and more, Komaeda’s body shuddering as if it’d shatter from having to contain it, and indeed, there was a crippling chill sinking into the atmosphere, making Matsuda shudder.

His heart skipped a beat, and Komaeda was still cackling as he stumbled, brushing his hair back with heavy, happy pants. His face flushed with exertion, and then, his eyes are wide, swirling, piercing.

Komaeda has to catch his breath. In that moment where he looks ready to collapse, he still looks utterly euphoric. In that moment, Matsuda feels dangerously close to collapsing instead. But he stands firm.

And Komaeda’s eyes are sparkling at the fact.

“The Ultimates standing tall, banding together and facing off against the despair of their friend’s death,” he murmurs, wiping a line of drool from his chin and cupping his cheek. “Wonderful... Beautiful... Absolutely _splendid_...!”

“K-Komaeda...?” Hinata squeaks, sounding way smaller and way feebler than he had any right to.

Matsuda could only stare, almost as if disgustingly captivated, like a moth to the malicious blue light.

Komaeda’s eyes, indeed, were glowing. Darkness upon darkness, pulpy and intense swirling miasmas, wild and turbulent. That grin splitting his face was downright ghastly, and right then, right there, Matsuda could only think—

_What it looks like when both hope and despair—are both smothering and suffocating one another._

“Your conclusions are correct,” Komaeda giggled manically. “Yes. Absolutely right. I’m the one behind everything.”

Matsuda opened his mouth to argue, but for once, he stopped himself.

_No... Let’s see where this goes and what he says. Now that this is all out in the open, this is absolutely something I mustn’t tear my eyes from._

He really had so desperately wanted to avoid this, but of fucking course the cards wouldn’t be in _his_ favor. Why would they be? Well, what _ever_.

_All I can do is somehow push on ahead, no matter what this idiot throws at me._


	9. Trial 1 Part 2 Case End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lives are on the line no matter what you do. Never forget that.
> 
> When shit's that hopeless, all you can do is try and minimize the symptoms. But surely...you can do more than that...right? Right?
> 
> Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaand here's the last part of...Chapter 1? :'D Yeah. Chapter 1.
> 
> Phew. That was a lot for just the first chapter. Uhhhh. I think I'm probably going to take a break on this verse for a while. I'm definitely still working on Chapter 2, of course! But I want to get further into it before I resume the weekly updates. Sorry. I had hoped I'd be further along by this point but I've been both busy and in a low mood which isn't the best combo.
> 
> I have a lot to say about this part because I definitely enjoy it more than the first part of the trial, but I'll just leave it for you to read. Maybe comment and share your thoughts afterwards if you want? I do really love responding to comments. :0
> 
> Thank you all for making it this far, even if we still have quite the long road ahead. Huff, puff.

“The chord, the knife, and of course the blackout... I’m responsible for all of that,” Komaeda said, in a much cheerier tone than when Matsuda himself had realized. “I hadn’t predicted the night-vision goggles, so seeing Togami-kun was quite a shock! Such a _fine play_! And, well, you all saw the result.”

He doesn’t want to think about that right now.

“W-What the hell is all this?!” Souda stuttered.

“T-Talk about a meltdown,” Mioda stammered.

“Is... Is this really what you’re like?” Koizumi didn’t seem to be asking just Komaeda that specifically, and she was still quaking. “I-Is this for real?”

“Komaeda, were you just...deceiving us?” Hinata managed. He was trembling, too. “F-From the start...?!”

“Oh! No, no!” Komaeda shook his head furiously but remained heinously giddy as he wrapped his arms around himself. “I wouldn’t dream of it! I could never deceive all of you!”

Matsuda noted the way he twitched, and the way that manic grin of his twisted so much that it looked as though it risked tearing at the very seams.

“I’m nothing special at all,” Komaeda says happily. “I’ve already made peace with the fact that I’m a lowly, unimportant nobody. Yes, nothing more than despicably, _irredeemably_ lowdown, rubbish, idiotic scum that can’t even _begin_ to compare. To harbor hopes or dreams would be insolent. To strive for more than what I’m worthy of would be beyond impertinent. That’s just the kind of pointless, valueless, and inferior being that I am! No matter what I do, I’ll always and forever be just—useless and incompetent! So I shouldn’t dare presume! Not now! Not ever!”

_Hah._

There was a lot to unpack there. So Matsuda just decided to throw out the whole suitcase.

Everyone else was screeching if they weren’t in shock. Poor Hinata looked sick, but between Mioda’s crazed ramblings and Sonia’s sparks of twisted intrigue, Matsuda couldn’t afford distractions right now.

“The letter,” he said. “With the handwriting. I already figured it’s yours.”

“Indeed it is!” Komaeda chirped. “Who else would have such wretchedly hideous penmanship!”

_Wretched. Twitchy. Manic. Rabid. This is probably the worst fucking time for it._

“There is one misconception Is should clear up,” Komaeda hums. “The drawing—I didn’t rig it.” He grinned. “I have Ultimate _Luck_! Why would I need to? But, ehe, as for everything else...”

“Komaeda-kun suggested the lodge,” Nanami murmured tensely.

“He also suggested the office,” Pekoyama hissed. “Between that and the letter, you lead us all into a _trap_.”

“Yes!” Komaeda beamed. “It really was wonderfully lucky—Hinata-kun had teased me and Matsuda-kun even showed concern but things were going exactly the way I wanted them to!”

_...not exactly._

Someone like this—Matsuda finally had the last piece he needed.

_All this time, the one thing that I couldn’t figure out was why. It didn’t matter, it wasn’t important, but it was the one thing that eluded me. Now I think I have a good grasp on everything._

“E-Enough.” Hinata sucked in his breath. “I don’t care about that. I just... I just need to know why.”

_I only needed to know **why**._

“I don’t care about any of that,” Hinata rambled, still shaking in both his voice and hands gripping the podium. “I just need to know—why _Togami_?”

Komaeda’s face does fall at that.

“Togami-kun was such an inspiring and wonderful leader, wasn’t he?” When his smile returns, it’s crooked and strained. “Someone like him getting killed—it’s despairing, isn’t it?”

Matsuda had a headache, but he still paid close attention.

“Such a despairing, tragic death—makes for a wonderful stepping stone! For a means to make the symbols of hope shine even brighter, even more brilliantly!” Komaeda sighed dreamily. “Yes... All for the sake of everyone...for hope... That’s why I did all of it.”

_So **that’s** it. So that’s—_

“S-SHIT... I DON’T UNDERSTAND SHIIIIT!” Nidai screams. “JUST STOOOOOP!!!”

“JUST START THE VOTE!!!” Kuzuryuu shouted. “LET’S FUCKING KILL THIS CREEP ALREADY!”

“PLEASE, MONOKUMA-CHAN!” Mioda sobbed. “GET IT OVER WITH!!!”

“W-Wait...” Tsumiki gasped. “No...”

“Since you know,” Komaeda said gently. “Let’s all start the vote.”

“W-Wait, _please_...!”

**Thud.**

All of them quieted at the sudden noise. Tsumiki’s breath hitched as Matsuda spoke up, voice a low, unimpressed drone.

“Shut the hell up, all of you.”

**_Thud_.**

“And just fucking **LISTEN** to me for once.”

Matsuda kicked his stand hard enough the second time to cause it to rattle. Monokuma, of course, was fuming.

“Don’t just abuse property! That’s grounds for punishment, Matsuda-kun!”

“M-Matsuda-kun!” Monomi cried. “You really mustn’t resort to physical acts of violence, even against objects!”

That seemed to snap some of those other idiots out of it.

“What the actual fuck is your problem?!” Kuzuryuu demanded, seething. “Are you really going to get in the way between us and a goddamn psychopathic murderer?”

“Don’t use that outdated term around _me_ , dipshit,” Matsuda hissed. “I know you idiots get swept away in your own inanity so damn easily that the goddamn ouroboros would tell you to take it down a notch, but consider that this situation is too _delicate_ for that.”

“Y-You were the one trying to cover for Komaeda earlier!” Souda accused. “Why should we listen to anything you say?!”

“Matsuda,” Koizumi says, much more sternly. “You _were_ acting really uncooperative before...”

“Did you not hear what I was saying at the time?” Matsuda asked, unimpressed. “Or are your brains so fried by your unchecked, unruly temperaments that you don’t fucking _remember_? Did you even register the words?”

Nanami frowned, puffing her cheeks.

“ _‘I already looked at it thoroughly, and I already considered what you’re thinking,’_ you said. _‘It’s impossible. Utterly impossible. So let’s just skip it.’_ ” She recounted. “That’s what you were saying when I asked you about the map.”

Unsurprisingly, that pissed him off more than it pleased him to hear.

“If you fucking understood me, then why the _fuck_ did you keep pushing it, you _obstinate_ fu—!”

“You _also_ said,” Hinata cut him off, loudly and pressingly. “That it was _irrelevant_. That it doesn’t _actually_ tell us anything about the culprit.”

“Wait, so you’re saying...” Saionji’s face pinched up. “That this super sloppy freak knows the actual culprit?”

“W...What?” Hanamura squeaked. He then swallowed. “But... But Komaeda-kun...already confessed.”

Komaeda smiled innocently, to which Matsuda scowled.

“He’s definitely the root of a lot of bullshit, and his morality is dubious like hell, but... There’s no way he could’ve done it. Which is what I was trying to fucking _tell_ all of you before you ganged up on him like monkey-brained schoolyard bullies and he just went along with it like the demented little duckling he is.”

“Duckling?” Komaeda murmured, while Hinata mouthed the same word.

“So, I...really don’t understand,” Owari said, picking at her ear. “Why are you so sure about it?”

“T-There’s no reason to be!” Souda exclaimed. “N-No reason—!”

“A-Actually, um...” Tsumiki fiddled with her fingers, raising her voice a little. “There’s, uh...a-a very, very good reason, I think...that Matsuda-san would be aware about...”

“Spit it out, you skanky bitch!” Saionji hissed, making her yelp. “We all already know you want to jump his dick! It’s so unbelievably gross!”

“I-I’m not...! T-That’s not why...!” she sniffles, cowering. “I-I’m so sorry!”

“We should hear out the timorous one and the sharp-tongued fool, all the same,” Tanaka admits. “There is, after all, a domain which they share.”

“Domain?” Hinata wondered, useless idiot he was until finally, fucking _finally_ it hit him. “Wait, you mean—!”

“We’re both in the business of healthcare,” Matsuda said coolly. “And we both reported and collaborated a thorough examination of Togami Byakuya’s corpse.”

“A-And, um, based on our findings...” Tsumiki trembled, still sniveling. “W-We... We found that...”

“The knife found under the table wasn’t the murder weapon,” Matsuda said before sneering at Hinata. “Which I fucking _told_ you. Over. And over. And fucking over again.”

Hinata flinched.

“Oh... T-That...” He jolted. “That’s right! Because...the actual murder weapon was...”

“5 mm in diameter,” Matsuda said as Tsumiki tearfully nodded. “I don’t expect you dumbasses to be all that great at calculations, but you should at least have the basic idea that...”

“That’s way too thin to be the knife!” Mioda exclaimed. “So it definitely _wasn’t_ the knife!”

“If you two are making this shit up, I’ll fucking harvest your organs and ship them on the black market!” Kuzuryuu yelled, making Tsumiki shriek in utter terror.

“Don’t threaten Mikan-chan like that!” Koizumi shouted.

“I see I’m fair game,” Matsuda grumbled, rolling his eyes. “But what the hell ever. Pinprick here doesn’t even have the fucking guts to carry that kind of threat through.”

“I’LL KILL YOU JUST FOR THAT!”

Matsuda stuck out his tongue before going on.

“Anyway, even if not for that, there’s another noteworthy reason why it couldn’t have been Komaeda.”

“I-I don’t know if it’s a reason, per say,” Tsumiki murmured. “But... U-Um... I did notice Komaeda-san l-looks...too nice...”

“You think I look nice?” Komaeda asked, perking up. “That’s so kind of you, Tsumiki-san! Even my own mother never complimented my appearance!”

“T-That’s not...”

“That’s not it,” Matsuda cut in, unimpressed. “Remember the state of the body underneath the table. It was a bloody fucking mess. When Togami was stabbed, arteries were pierced, causing a copious squirting spill of blood.”

“Y-You don’t need to go into so much detail...” Souda groaned. “I-I’m gonna hurl...”

_It’s much worse having to see that shit up close and personal, I assure you._

But he absolutely couldn’t get nauseous now. Because.

“If that’s the case, then Komaeda should be covered in Togami’s blood,” Hinata said, grimacing and looking ill as well. “He’s not. He’s completely clean.”

“For the record, there _is_ a bloodied sheet in the storage room that the actual culprit used,” Matsuda said. “However, the distance between that and the dining hall is considerable. There’s no way he would’ve gotten to and back so quickly without anyone noticing.”

_There’s also the state I found him in after the blackout—but let’s keep that to myself. We can’t overcomplicate this for the sake of the simpletons._

“W-What’s up with THAT?!” Nidai asked, utterly startled.

“I believe...the answer is simple,” Sonia said, head lowering. “It is as Matsuda-san and Tsumiki-san assert. Komaeda-san...couldn’t be the culprit.”

“B-But...” Hanamura stammers.

“It’s _possible_ that they’re correct,” Komaeda chirruped. “That I’m not the one who murdered Togami-kun.”

“A-Are you saying you didn’t do it?!” Koizumi yelled.

“Matsuda-kun’s certainly adamant on it, isn’t he?” Komaeda asked. “It’s quite something. So much more than I deserve!”

_Oh, for **fuck’s** sake._

“Hey asshole, I’m going to say this as considerably as I can,” Matsuda said. “I’ve already figured out _exactly_ what the hell you’re trying to pull and lemme tell you, it’s far more frustrating than encouraging. So for everyone’s sakes, can you keep _quiet_ unless you’re willing to be upfront about what _really_ happened under the table?”

Komaeda opened his mouth, and then he shut it, still smiling.

“What really happened?” Saionji parroted. “What, you’re not even going to tell us?!”

 _No, that’s what I expected._ Matsuda huffed. _It’s what the hell ever._ _I already have a means of dragging the truth out, kicking and screaming._

“Punkcore chick,” he says. Mioda perks up, eyes wide and bright. “Think back to the blackout.”

“The blackout? Huuuuuh?” She seemed to think it over, concentrating really hard. “Oh! Eyes crossed and everyone doubled! Now there’s two of you, Yasuke-chan!”

“Lives are on the line!” Souda yelled.

“Whose?!” Owari asked.

“D-Did you seriously forget?!”

Matsuda ran his hand down his face.

_No. No. I **will** fucking work with this. Even if I have to twist truth’s head at a 180 degree angle._

“It’s not about what you had  _seen_ ,” he hinted.

“Nothing could be seen,” Komaeda added wistfully. “The truth dwells in darkness. Ehe. It’s a metaphor, for...” He quiets when Matsuda glares at him, and covers his mouth dutifully. “Mm!”

_He’s not wrong, that said. Even if punkcore looks as obnoxiously clueless as ever. Urgh. No. I **will** push through._

“The truth dwells in darkness,” Matsuda repeated. “But it’s not about what couldn’t be seen, it’s about what could be heard.”

With that, he takes out the script.

“Here’s all the chatter heard and recorded by our resident punker over there. I had her write it down, because I was worried she’d end up forgetting about it.”

“Ooh, right!” Mioda said. “I did kinda forget!”

“I would ask if you felt shame but considering the way you carry yourself... Hhhh.” Matsuda groaned and passed the paper around. “Anyway, get a good damn read.”

For what it was worth, they read over the paper thoroughly. Komaeda in particular, still covering his mouth, somehow lit up further with sparkling eyes. He made a muffled happy noise. Probably would’ve said something along the lines of,

_“As expected of the Ultimate Musician! To perfectly distinguish voices is incredible!”_

Or whatever.

_...god, I’ve caught on so quickly that I’m sure about shit like that. The trial is a circus of depressing as hell revelations and developments._

“Is this really what you heard, Ibuki-chan?” Koizumi asked, to which Mioda gleefully nodded.

“Yeppers! I didn’t remember but—this is definitely my beautiful handwriting, so it must be true!” She winked. “And my hearing is god tier!”

“Considering the how everything else about you is shit tier, I guess it’s only fair,” Saionji said.

“Yowch! Stabbed by a good sharp point!”

“More importantly, pay attention to the words exchanged between Togami and Komaeda,” Pekoyama said, arms folded tightly as Hinata squinted at the paper.

 **_“Hey, what do you think you’re doing?!_ ** **Stop _!”_**

**_“Ow!”_ **

“For what it’s worth, when I was straining to hear, I picked up on that exchange as well,” Matsuda said, raising his hand. “Doesn’t sound much like a murder, does it?”

“It sounds more akin to a counterattack,” Pekoyama agreed.

“Fucking _hell_ ,” Kuzuryuu cursed. “Wait, so doesn’t that mean...?”

“Mm.”

Several eyes were back on Komaeda, who still had his mouth covered. Matsuda’s own gaze in particular narrowed sharply at what was _definitely_ a sound of agreement.

“I checked Togami’s hand earlier,” he said lowly, going on since it seemed Komaeda was still being stubborn. “There were specks of paint in his palm. I imagine that if he wrestled it from someone else, there’d at least be lacerations from the knife...but there weren’t. Komaeda—did you even _get_ to the knife before Togami shoved you out?”

Hanamura jolted at that.

“W... _What_...?!”

_That’s a shock to hear, isn’t it._

“Togami had the night-goggles on, and he can move pretty damn fast,” Matsuda said, running his fingers through his hair. “My guess? He saw this dumbass cottonweed making his way to the table and reacted so quickly that Komaeda Nagito barely had time to blink before he was rebuffed.”

“Is that the truth?” Sonia asked, brow furrowing. “Komaeda-san, is Matsuda-san’s guess accurate?”

“Mm.. Mmhm...” Komaeda’s eyes shifted to the side before shutting as he pulled down his hands from his mouth, allowing a burst of laughter to escape. “Haha! You really are incredible, Matsuda-kun! With just a few keen observations, you were able to piece the mystery together beautifully! As expected of the Ultimate Neurologist!”

“W-WHAT ARE YOU SAAAAAYING?!” Nidai boomed, making Matsuda’s ears ring a little.

_Don’t you get tired of fucking shouting all the damn time?_

“Matsuda-kun’s correct,” Komaeda chirped. “It’s exactly as he said!”

“T-Togami-kun really...p-pushed you?” Hanamura stammered, to which Komaeda gleefully nodded.

“When I slipped under the table, I was confronted by Togami-kun. It was quite the shock and before I registered what happened, he shoved me away! Out from under! Just like that!” He sucked in his breath, likely because he rambled so quickly that he had begun to wheeze. “My plans for murder fell apart then and there. I really am so drearily, disgustingly incompetent—a total failure who couldn’t even manage to touch the knife I so carefully set up! It’s exactly, _exactly_ as Matsuda-kun says!!”

Matsuda pinched the bridge of his nose, inhaling and exhaling deeply.

_I’ll have to more formally deal with him, later, but for now..._

“After that, I was just stuck in the darkness with everyone else,” Komaeda went on. “I lost sight of the glow-in-the-dark landmark, and I couldn’t tell where the cord was either. Then, the lights came back on, and well, you all saw the rest...”

 _When I finally managed to get to him after the lights returned,_ Matsuda thought. _He did seem to be in quite the daze. So that was what it was._

“S-So you’re saying you didn’t manage _shit_?!” Kuzuryuu hissed. “That you have nothing to do with Togami’s death after all?!”

“We’re just back at square one again!” Saionji whined. “What even the _hell_?!”

“AFTER ALL THAAAAT?!” Nidai screamed. “W-What do we even do noooow?!”

“Ooh, don’t lose hope quite yet!” Komaeda exclaimed. “You mustn’t give up! You’ve all come so far, showcasing such brilliant faith and determination! So keep on fighting! As symbols of hope, you can recover and rise up again and again no matter how many times you get knocked down!”

“T...The reason why we got knocked down in the first place was because of you,” Hinata burst out. “I just...don’t understand, I really don’t...”

“But now that we’ve gotten that gong show out of the way, this means you all are ready to hear me out, yeah?” Matsuda asked coolly. “Hey. Are you all ready to for fucking once to _listen_ to me or what?”

“Why do you always have to talk like that?” Koizumi griped.

“But we should hear Matsuda-san out,” Sonia said. “Especially if he has more to say.”

“Lay it on us, Yasuke-chan!” Mioda exclaimed excitedly. “What is it, what is it?! Ears perked!”

“You’ve probably pieced a lot together, huh,” Nanami droned.

_Don’t look at me like that. It’s seriously creepy. But. But..._

“Before, I only mentioned it briefly to clear up doubts, but the bloodied bedsheet in the storage room is a really important clue,” he found himself saying. “As said, the distance between the dining hall and the storage room is considerable. It’s not just Komaeda—I don’t think anyone could transverse that entire distance twice in the darkness.”

“Yeah, that’d be pretty difficult to miss,” Souda said. “Especially since you’d have to do that without accidentally knocking someone over.”

“There’s another thing,” Matsuda said. “ _Someone_ would’ve noticed either way, even if you managed to not brush up against anyone. With a sheet that bloodied—that rabid meat chick would’ve smelled it.”

“Did someone say meat?!” Owari perked up immediately. “Where’s the meat?!”

“No, he’s just referring to you, Akane-chan,” Koizumi said, exasperated. “You do have a good nose, after all.”

“Ooh... Yeah, that’s true. I probably would’ve...” Owari picked at her nails. “I don’t think I did, though.”

“This is also something that bothered me for a while,” Matsuda added. “The injuries on Togami’s body.”

“Y-Yes, those,” Tsumiki stammered. “T-There were, um, several, spanning from his neck...t-to his abdomen...”

“There wasn’t a lot of room under the table,” Matsuda said, shaking his head. “And to inflict injuries like that without causing a serious rattle, taking also into account that they’d have to get past everyone in the dining hall in complete darkness without getting noticed at all—that’s almost impossible.”

“When you put it that way, it does sound all pretty difficult to do,” Hinata said, pursing his lips. “So, then, the question becomes how.”

Nanami hummed.

“Maybe...”

“The simplest explanation in this case is that the culprit didn’t kill Togami from under the table, but from somewhere else,” Matsuda said.

“The table’s underside is undeniably the place where he perished,” Tanaka pointed out.

“Pay attention to the actual wording,” Matsuda snapped. “I _know_ that. Discounting the fact that we established that shit earlier, the blood underneath the table is all the evidence you need for that being where Togami died.”

“No, what Matsuda means...” Hinata looked pensive, cupping his chin in deep thought. “Togami and the culprit weren’t in the same place when the culprit stabbed him...right?”

“How is that supposed to make any sense?!” Mioda demanded.

“Perhaps a place under the table, but not _directly_ under like Togami-kun was,” Nanami suggested. “Right, Matsuda-kun?”

_If you know then you can’t just say it yourself? Oh, what the hell ever. Now’s a good time to finally get the ball rolling with something I’ve been meaning to ask about for hours now._

“Oi.” With a point, Matsuda directed his next statement to _that_ particular person. “You argued earlier, but you’re the one who should be damn fucking aware that there’s another possibility for the culprit’s location.”

“You dare challenge me, snappish fool?” Tanaka asked, lowly. “Do you wish to invite death?”

“For the culprit, yeah,” Matsuda said with a shrug. “But it’s not a challenge. I’m making a point. About your _earring_.”

“The hellhound earring?” Tanaka asked.

“Your earring.”

“The piercing yowls of the hellhound earring beckons you?”

“...”

_God if there’s another murder, I hope he’s the victim. Especially for making me do this._

“Earlier, you complained about losing your piercing within a shadowy portal that you could not reach.” A pause. “Apparently, that changed because you’re wearing it again. Or is that a spare?”

“How dare you!” Tanaka seethed. “The hellhound earring is not a mere mass-produced trinket! It is one and the same!”

_Christ even when I try to talk like the guy, I just cause more friction. Whatever._

“What _ever_ ,” he said aloud. “What I’m asking is how the _hell_ you got it back, O Obnoxious Fuckhead.”

“Stay thy tongue, snappy boor! Especially when divulging the dark lord’s secrets!” Tanaka thundered. Then, he laughed. “For it is as you imply! I, Tanaka Gundam, have reached the end of the elusive shadowy portal through my very own passage of chaos, the entrance to the floorboards’ underworld hidden by the babel’s tower of boxes within the storage room—discovered by none other than the _Crimson Steel Elephant_ , Maga-G!”

There was a hamster that climbed atop Tanaka’s shoulder, sniffing the air and washing its face. Matsuda assumed that was Maga-G, there for acknowledgement and praise.

_If I bet him and tell him good job, though, I’ll definitely just get bitten. So I’ll just think it really hard. Good job, Maga-G. Wish you didn’t come...with all that extra._

“Why couldn’t you put that a little more normally?” Saionji asked, unimpressed. “You raise rodents.”

“They are not mere rodents—!”

“But they really are so wonderfully impressive!” Sonia squealed, to Souda’s dismay.

 _They are impressive._ Matsuda thought. _Because that’s exactly what I needed._

“The bloodied sheet was also in the storage room,” he pointed out. “With an entryway to beneath the floorboards and damning evidence in the same place—isn’t that a little suspect?”

“That’s super suspect!” Mioda exclaimed.

“H-He should’ve mentioned something like that sooner!” Souda yelled.

_I **tried**. Shut the hell up._

“It makes an earth of sense!” Sonia exclaimed. “That passageway must have been used by the culprit as well!”

“So the culprit, wrapped up in the sheet, could’ve accessed the secret entrance to under the floor, made their way to beneath the dining hall, and stabbed Togami, right?” Hinata asked. “That... That definitely...makes the most sense. It wouldn’t be that far a walk either, according to the map Koizumi drew. So...it definitely makes the most sense.”

“Mm.” Komaeda hummed serenely. “Does it, though?”

Matsuda clicked his tongue.

_Haaah. Seriously?_

“I-It definitely _doesn’t_ make sense!” Hanamura argued. “Walking all that way in the dark is like making eggs benedict without any eggs! A-And even if someone could do that, w-who could it possibly be?! Kuzuryuu-kun, maybe?”

“What the FUCK DID YOU JUST SAY?!?!”

“A- _Aah_!”

_...that... I’m not going to describe that sound but I’m gonna need brain bleach after this._

“That’s impossible, there’s no way to get under the floorboards from outside the building,” Matsuda said instead, quick to move the conversation along.

“Indeed, the droning one and I had that confirmed,” Tanaka hummed. “We had checked thoroughly, and it is a certain impossibility.”

“I also saw Kuzuryuu-kun earlier while on guard, so he never got into the building,” Nanami said, yawning. “I don’t...think he sneaked past...”

“You don’t _think_?” Souda repeated, raising an eyebrow.

“H-He didn’t!” Monomi squeaked. “He definitely didn’t! Sensei was there, too...!”

“Hush, Monomi!” Monokuma snapped. “The children are talking!”

“E-Eep...”

“I-I already told you this had fucking nothing to do with me,” Kuzuryuu grumbled. “Christ, involving me out of nowhere like that...”

Hanamura giggled as Matsuda’s gaze lowered.

“...considering the blackout, it wouldn’t have been that hard to slip away in the chaos,” he went on. “Even without getting noticed.”

“While I find Kuzuryuu’s loitering suspicious, it’s true that we were all in an uproar,” Koizumi said. “It wouldn’t have been that hard, as Matsuda said.”

“S-Shut up about me...”

“It was pretty startling, huh,” Hanamura laughed nervously. “It happened in the kitchen, too...”

“The hallway, too,” Souda huffed. “It was a mess.”

“I didn’t notice from my guard post,” Nanami said. “Sounds rough though, I guess.”

“We’re getting a little off-topic,” Matsuda snapped, clapping his hands to get their attention. “Back on track, back on track. There was a certain other matter we need to address before pointing fingers.”

“Navigating the darkness under the floorboards,” Hinata said, brow furrowed. “Is that really so impossible?”

“Not if you also have night-vision goggles,” Saionji pointed out.

“Or a cord,” Nidai added.

“Or just, y’know, a light,” Owari said, shrugging.

_Bingo._

“A broken clock is once at least twice a day,” Matsuda replied, unfolding the next couple of papers he needed. “Some people carry around small flashlights like yours truly and the fluff-ball basket case over there.”

“Which reminds me that I really should replace the battery, ehe,” Komaeda hummed. “But whatever are you getting at, Matsuda-kun? If there had been a light, don’t you think Souda-kun would’ve seen it?”

Matsuda huffed.

_While I definitely doubt the guy’s capabilities, he’s not so blind he wouldn’t notice that. It’s true. However._

“Are you playing stupid to be _cute_? You and that guy already known damn well how the culprit would’ve avoided that.”

“That guy?” Komaeda parroted.

“...the fire doors.”

Thank fucking _god_ , Hinata got the hint and perked up.

“The fire doors would’ve blocked out any light,” he said, louder than before. “They were between the kitchen and the hall so, that would work, right?”

“They just need to be closed,” Matsuda said. “And past those doors lies a sharp turn in the corridor, so even if you didn’t have a lot of time, you could make it through unseen while leisurely jogging if you wanted.”

_Of course, the culprit would’ve been rushing._

“Ooh!” Komaeda lights up. “Impressive observation! As expected of the Ultimate Neurologist and Ultimate... Oh.” He pauses, humming thoughtfully. “You still don’t remember your talent, do you, Hinata-kun?”

“T-That’s not important right now...!”

_Don’t make such a desperate face at a time like this. Especially when..._

“Komaeda, you are being rather confrontational,” Pekoyama observed coldly. “Why is that? It was proven that you could not be the culprit.”

“Aha, you don’t need to sound so cross,” Komaeda laughed, waving his hands. “If you feel your blood pressure rising, then inhale and exhale...”

Kuzuryuu slammed his hands on the podium.

“How about I fucking shut you up for good instead?! _That’ll_ fucking be a goddamn relief!”

“Hey now, outside the trial is the place for violence, not in it!” Monokuma called. “And all this back-and-forth is getting exhaaaausting! Just pick a culprit and get it over with!”

“C-Can we really do that?” Souda asked, grumbling. “ _Anyone_ could’ve just been carrying a small light around.”

“Although why the hell no one showed that off during the blackout is another mystery we should solve,” Saionji hissed. “Preferably with punishment!”

“I had other things on my mind, you goblin, it happens,” Matsuda griped.

_Because Komaeda had disappeared at the time, and there was all that shouting... Still, urgh, if I had remembered, then perhaps this bullshit could’ve all been avoided. God, I’m a fucking idiot._

But, well, now wasn’t the time for what-ifs. _Now_...

“I can probably make a good guess at this time,” Matsuda said, crossing his arms. “After all, we’ve narrowed things down considerably.”

“If that’s so then I suppose it’s time for this red herring to pass the baton,” Komaeda chirped. “From this failure to the real killer.”

“Ku, I’d say you’re still at fault for all this,” Nidai growled.

“If that’s what you truly believe, I don’t mind,” Komaeda said. “I intend to embrace whatever conclusion reached because as long as it’s one every Ultimate agrees on—I’ll accept no more, no less.”

“...” _Obviously one particular Ultimate is still going to put up a fight. Also._ “Let’s not make something this distasteful sound so grandiose.”

He shook his head, inhaled, exhaled, and then presented the kitchen equipment list.

“One of the items listed here is a portable stove, one that contains its own fuel container and can be easily transported. It is my belief that if the culprit lacked their own light, then this would’ve easily sufficed.”

“A stoooove?” Mioda echoes.

Matsuda saw that particular person twitch.

“This is just a theory, mind you, not proof, however, it’s one of many answers to the problem.” He sets down the list. “But, if the culprit were in the dining hall with us, it still would have been far too difficult to navigate their way towards the storage room. Thus, my belief is that the culprit was not initially _in_ the dining room when the blackout took place. So, there’s only one person I truly believe could’ve killed Togami.”

A pause. The tension in the air is palpable. Matsuda’s gaze rose, and he spoke lowly yet clearly.

“Hanamura Teruteru. It had to have been you.”

* * *

“W-What... What are you saying, Matsuda-kun?”

Hanamura’s legs were shaking. He was sweating copiously. He couldn’t look more red-handed if he tried.

_Tch._

“Did I fucking stutter?” he asked, expression impassive. “If you have a counter, I’d love to hear it.”

“C-Counter?!” he shrieked. “H-How can I possibly—none of what you had is conclusive...and yet you’re treating me as a killer...!”

_It’s true I couldn’t exactly dust for fingerprints, footprints, or what the hell ever, but..._

“It’s what makes the most sense,” Matsuda said coolly. “If anyone has any other ideas, please share with the class.”

“B-But Matsuda-kun, that’s just...!”

“Now, now, Hanamura-kun,” came a smooth intervention like a scalpel smoothly stabbing him in the side. “Losing your temper will be so unsightly, so unbefitting for the Ultimate Cook.”

Hanamura stiffened at that, gaze helplessly darting to Komaeda. Matsuda also glared at him, but Komaeda only looked at Hanamura meaningfully.

_Somehow that’s the thing he’s done today that’s pissed me off the most._

“C... Chef,” Hanamura only corrected weakly. “I’m the Ultimate Chef.”

“All the same!” Komaeda exclaimed, undeterred and determined. “If you succumb to pressure before such outlandish false charges, who will carry forward the avant-garde of cuisine? You must face these accusations head-on, not only for your sake but for the sake of the entire culinary world!”

“T... That’s right. That’s right...!” Hanamura fell for it, hook line and stinker. “F-For the culinary world’s future, I-I will...do just that...!”

“Komaeda, why the hell are you butting in?” Hinata demanded.

“Did you just fucking call me outlandish, you prick?” Matsuda seethed. “ _Seriously_?”

“Because, Matsuda-kun, there was one factor you didn’t equate,” Komaeda chirped cheerfully. “Say everything went as you said prior, that by using the stove or whatever with the fire doors acting as a shield, once they reached the crawl space beneath the floor, what then?” He beamed. “If they still used any sort of light, they’d definitely get spotted under those circumstances, wouldn’t they?”

“Y-Yeah!” Hanamura agreed. “That... That’s a good point!”

Matsuda cursed lowly, but then he shook his head.

“Yes, it is,” he said, sighing. “I unfortunately didn’t get the chance to investigate this personally.”

_But... Someone else did._

“T-Tanaka!” Koizumi exclaimed. “You’ve been there! What was it like?”

“Void, save for a phosphorus luminescence within the vicinity of dripping lifeblood,” Tanaka rumbled. “Nothing of the culprit’s possessions seemed to have remain.”

“Luminescence?” Mioda repeated. “So like, _light_?”

_Perfect._

“It was likely more akin to a glow,” Matsuda said, pointing his finger. “From the painted knife and tape. If you’re aware of the glow-in-the-dark paint, you could just aim at any movement you spotted near it.”

“So then, the moment someone took hold of the knife, the culprit would strike,” Sonia said. “Correct?”

“That someone being Togami, who had remnants of the paint in his palm,” Matsuda replied, nodding. “That’s it.”

“So was that why Togami-kun was killed?” Komaeda asked, strangely curious. “Because he took the knife I painted?”

“If that is true, then, did the culprit know about Komaeda-kun’s plan?” Nanami asked, head tilted.

“I... I didn’t...!” Hanamura sputtered. “I didn’t know about no plan...! A-And, um, that still doesn’t prove anything...”

_No, however..._

“Another question,” Komaeda said cheerfully. “If Hanamura-kun were guilty, he would’ve been in the storage room during the outage. However, according to Mioda-san’s script, she heard Hanamura-kun at the time, no?”

“I do remember seeing Hanamura’s name listed,” Pekoyama replied, tense.

“Doesn’t that prove that Hanamura-kun was with us at the time?” Komaeda asked.

“Y-Yeah!” Hanamura exclaimed. “That—that proves my innocence!”

Matsuda’s expression didn’t change.

_No, ironically, it does just the opposite._

“You definitely said something like that earlier,” Matsuda said, sighing as he unfolded Hanamura’s testimony. “You supposedly made your way from the kitchen by using the wall and listening to everyone’s voices.”

“T-There’s no supposedly!” Hanamura argued.

“It’s at least possible,” Nidai harrumphed. “But something doesn’t seem right.”

“The floorboards are riddled with cracks and the crevices are wide enough to drop pens through, not like I’ve done that or anything,” Matsuda said simply, setting down the testimony. “If you were under the floor, you could just shout and everyone would just assume you’re in the room none the wiser.”

“A-Ah...huh?” Hanamura jolted, and he began to hyperventilate. “H-Hey, hey, Matsuda-kun...this really isn’t funny...”

“Just keep taking those deep breaths,” Matsuda replied, shrugging. “It would be awkward if you passed out and someone would have to revive you before you get executed.”

“Executed?! Y-You—ya really th’nk I d’d ‘t?!”

_He’s starting to slur his words. He’s really panicking._

“Deep breaths,” he repeated dully.

“B-B...BU, BU, BU...!” And then, Hanamura screamed. “BUT _I D’DN’T DO ANYTH’N_! I W’S D’RE N TAT ROOM W’D EVRY’NE ELSE!!!”

“That’s a pretty strong accent, were you hiding it all this time?” Saionji asked, eyes wide. “Just like you were hiding being a dirty rotten killer?”

“YEW H’V **_NO PROOF_**!”

“No, I do,” Matsuda said. “Because of your slipup way earlier.”

“S...” Hanamura deflated a little, but his voice was still gratingly high-pitched. “Sl’pup...?”

“Does someone remember not seeing Hanamura-kun when the lights came on?” Nanami asked.

“I... I’m not sure,” Koizumi mumbled. “Was he?”

“He felt as though he were there,” Sonia said uncertainly. “And yet as though he wasn’t, perhaps...?”

“He couldn’t have been,” Matsuda said. “Because—this is _Hanamura_ we’re talking about.”

“W-Wattaya mean?!” Hanamura slurred. “W-Wh’r yer proof...?”

“Earlier, you made a comment that gave yourself away,” Matsuda said, albeit considerably more irritated than before. “Do you remember the reason why I couldn’t possibly be the killer?”

“E-Eh...why...?” Hanamura seemed flabbergasted. “Wha?”

“That’s right—there was a particular event that cleared Matsuda earlier,” Hinata recalled. “Something like that—there’s no way Hanamura wouldn’t have taken notice.”

“O... Oh...!” Hanamura perked up. “Y-You mean, um...something involving... Tsumiki-san?”

“I-I’m sorry!” Tsumiki sobbed. “I’m still just so ashamed!”

“You should fucking be,” Saionji hissed. “Why do you and Matsuda-nii keep flaunting that shit?!”

“Earlier, when that got mentioned, you seemed pretty taken aback by it, Hanamura,” Matsuda said, ignoring her. “In fact—you acted as if _that were the first time you heard about it_.”

“E-Eh...?” Hanamura fiddled with his fingers. “N... No... I... You two were, um, together...”

_Urgh. The fucking fact that what happened is my goddamn decisive evidence. Just oh my god, why is this my life now?_

“You mustn’t give up, Matsuda-kun!” Komaeda cheered. “Push on and on! Showcase more of that beautiful hope! I want to see—will it shatter Hanamura-kun’s own?!”

_It’ll certainly shatter my dignity, as is usually the case with having to tolerate this guy, but—_

“Just a vague description isn’t going to cut it,” Matsuda found himself saying. “What I want is specifics. As in, what specific _position_ were the two of us in?”

“P... Position...?” The repetition of the word was far more squeaky than before. “I... I... I-I...”

“It’s _you_ ,” Matsuda snarled. “If anyone would remember that moment with picture perfect clarity, it’d be _you_.”

“W.. Well...” Nervously combing through his hair, Hanamura hurriedly laughed. “Um... I-I forgot...! Simple as that.”

“Like hell you did!” Hinata exclaimed.

“There’s no _way_ you would...!” Koizumi agreed.

“A...All the same...!” Hanamura swallowed. “I... I-I...” Then, he pleaded. “K- _Komaeda-kun_! Won’t you say something?!”

“Mm?” Komaeda blinked once. Twice. And then, with a sigh, he shook his head. “No, Hanamura-kun, I think now is the time you just give up.”

Hanamura flinched, eyes comically wide.

“G... Give up?”

“I’m just as disappointed as you are,” Komaeda said, brushing his hair back as his frown deepened. “It’s such a shame when someone so talented reaches the limits of their hope. In a way, my own dreams feel just...crushed.”

“What the hell is wrong with you, Komaeda?!” Hinata yelled, incited. “You go from supporting the culprit to throwing them under the bus so quickly! Is this _really_ what you’re like?!”

_That doesn’t matter right now._

“I’m _not_ the culprit!” Hanamura whined helplessly. “I-I t’ld yu...!”

“What does your word matter now?” Komaeda asked, unimpressed. “The cat’s out of the bag now, wouldn’t you say?”

“Ooh, so that’s the saying!” Sonia exclaimed to which Hanamura _screeched_.

And what came out next was _fucking garble_.

“THE CAAAAT AIN’ OWDDA NAW BAAAAAG!!! MOIND ‘EE YEW HABB’N GOT NUN ON THE MOIDURR W’P’N!!!”

“God, his accent’s like sandpaper through a meat grinder!” Saionji yelped, covering her ears. “I can’t take it!”

“I-I can’t even _understand_ it!” Souda cried.

 Matsuda raised his hand.

“Right, well, do we have translator?”

“Ooh!” Monomi immediately perked up. “It seems to be a rustic way of you’ve yet to explain the murder weapon!”

“You understood that?!” Mioda exclaimed.

_“EEF ‘M D’N XPL’N THE W’P’N!!!”_

“If he’s the culprit, then explain the weapon!” Monomi chirped happily before sniffling. “Boo-hoo...that’s so sad...”

“Ooh! I can play music, then!” Mioda seemed more excited by that.

“Perhaps later,” Komaeda said with a laugh. “But more importantly, does the weapon really matter? I think we’re at the stage we can just forget about it.”

“NURRR! ‘ELL NURR! ‘EE KAANT JURST FURRGIT AB’RT EET!!!” Hanamura screamed, fuming.

“His position is that you can’t just forget about it,” Monomi supplied.

“I got that,” Matsuda replied, crossing his arms. “So you want the weapon, then? It’s an iron skewer.”

Hanamura made a distorted, complicated noise that even Monomi couldn’t translate. He even seemed to be foaming at the mouth.

_Just don’t pass out before you die._

“I checked through the case with all the weapons,” Matsuda explained. “The only one that could’ve made those injuries was the iron skewer. Conveniently, you claimed one was missing when Togami questioned you about it.”

“T-That would fit the description perfectly!” Tsumiki exclaimed.

“So that’s that!” Owari huffed, pumping her fists ready to pummel. “Where’d you hide that skewer, Hanamura?!”

“Hhh... H-Hhhh...” Hanamura’s fingers yanked his pompadour free. “AVR’LAHV’NGE!”

“ _Avril Lavigne_!” Monomi translated cheerily.

“He’s just trying to confuse us with total fucking nonsense!” Kuzuryuu yelled. “He just dumped that skewer somewhere on the island!”

“No, no,” Monomi said, shaking her head. “Littering is against the rules. If you littered, loud sirens would go off all around the island.”

“B-Bit harsh for littering, don’t you think?!” Souda stammered.

“That’s whatever,” Matsuda said, crossing his arms. “Because it’s not like the lodge is devoid of several potential hiding places. But, knowing this creep, if I were him, I’d hide it either up my ass or in that large slab of meat on the table.”

“W-W-W-W-WWW?!?!”

“And that was a bulls-eye, wasn’t it?” Matsuda asked simply before his eyes narrowed harshly on Hanamura’s quivering frame. “The meat. Of course you’d hide it in the fucking _meat_.”

“The meat?!” Owari gawked. “C-Can you even do that?!”

“I...I ain’t saying nuttin...” Hanamura mumbled pitifully. “N-No...way...”

“It was overlooked before, but that’s not going to be the case now,” Matsuda said sharply. “You’re the one demanding proof, so let’s hop to it then. Someone—I don’t fucking care who—retrieve that meat!”

“Mmf, mmf. Already...chewing on it...”

Mioda and Owari both shrieked at the sight of Monokuma munching on the meat slab in question, looking pretty damn pleased about it.

“A-A bear eating meat—?! Wait, no, that’s normal!!”

“DAMMIT I WANTED TO EAT THAT!!!”

“N-NO!!!” Hanamura screamed. “NO, NO, NO!!!”

Matsuda only watched as Monokuma perked, realizing it not too long after.

“Ooh? What’s this?”

With a yank from its place, Monokuma brandished the iron skewer, holding it up proudly. Hanamura fell to his knees as the bear cackled.

“Hilt of bone, scabbard of flesh,” Tanaka mused. “A sword of destruction that brought upon death.”

“Most impressive, Hanamura-kun!” Komaeda exclaimed. “This weapon is a work of art, befitting the of the Ultimate ‘Chef’!”

“N...o...”

Hanamura shook his head fervently.

“No, no, no... No, that’s wrong... I... I would never...k...k...”

He couldn’t finish that sentence, which was unsurprising. It was the end of the line for this guy.

“You knew about Komaeda’s plan, and you prepared a weapon in wait for it,” Matsuda said quietly. “When the lights went out, you immediately sprang into action, grabbing the iron skewer and using the portable stove to navigate to the storage room. Once you were before the entrance to the crawlspace, weapon still in hand, you wrapped yourself in a sheet and made your way under the floorboard. You saw the glow from the paint, and once you saw the knife move, you struck. Over. And over. And over. And over. Were you that angry? Or did you just want someone dead _that_ badly?”

“I... I-I...” Hanamura choked on a sob. “I-I didn’t...”

“Even if you didn’t mean to kill Togami, he’s still dead as a direct consequence of your actions,” Matsuda said coldly, with a gaze that reflected no light on Hanamura’s now tear-stained face. “Don’t you think it’s time to answer for that, Hanamura? Don’t you owe him that much?”

With that, Hanamura could only let out one last whimper.

_“Alright everyone! Time to cast your ballots! Upupupu!”_

* * *

The votes were unanimous.

“And you all hit the jackpot!” Monokuma cheered, throwing out confetti. “Hanamura Teruteru-kun is your killer! _Congrats_! _Woohoo_!”

Hanamura was still quiet, still likely in shock. Well, he wasn’t the only one.

“O-Of all people...!” Kuzuryuu gritted his teeth. “It really _was_ him?!”

“Y...You got it...wrong...” Hanamura swallowed. “Y-You’re wrong...”

“What do we got wrong?!” Nidai demanded, fist clenched. “You killed Togami, DIDN’T YOU?! _Why_?!”

“I-I didn’t mean to—! It...” Shaking his head, Hanamura hurriedly pointed a shaking finger at Komaeda. “I-I was just trying to stop _him_!”

“You were trying to stop _Komaeda_?” Hinata asked as Matsuda’s gaze darkened.

“I-I was trying to save everyone!” Hanamura stammered. “When... When... When I was making preparations... I hear someone laughing from the dining hall—a-and it was Komaeda-kun! I saw him set up the knife, set up the irons, the air conditioning, everything! When I confronted him, he said was going to start the killing game, no matter what...!”

Hinata blinked and turned his gaze to Komaeda, narrowed and intense.

“What _exactly_ did you say?”

“Mm, how to put it...” Komaeda just smiled like it was nothing. “It’s akin to reading a good adventure story, where you watch the protagonist grow stronger and stronger as they learn to adapt to the volatile environment and dangerous people they are often surrounded by...”

“You really mean to imply that shit’s the same as this?!” Kuzuryuu hissed.

“Isn’t it?” Komaeda asked childishly. “Trials and tribulations build strength and character. Sure, a killing game for ordinary people would be a disastrous massacre but _Ultimates_ are different. For people such as yourselves, this is a means of achieving even greater feats than before.” Brightly, he went on. And on. “Of course I have no intention of surviving—but if it means serving as shaping the very foundation where you all rise, then there’s nothing more worthwhile of my pitiful existence! It’s so wonderful—so very wonderful to just—have the opportunity to take _place_ in that! The development of the brightest, strongest hope that’ll overcome any despair!”

“...so that’s truly what this is about,” Matsuda said blankly. “So that’s why.”

“I-It makes no sense!” Koizumi yelled as Souda looked ill and terrified. “So it’s just a _game_ to you?!”

“Goodness no, it’s more than that,” Komaeda laughed. “It’s not as if I planned on surviving to the end or anything. It’s not a mere game, it’s an invaluable matter that I’m more than willing to die for.”

_...to die for._

“You planned for Hanamura-kun to see you, didn’t you?” Nanami asked. “You wanted this killing game to start so badly that you baited Hanamura-kun into it by letting him find out about what you were to do.”

“Mm, yeah. I did admit I had high hopes,” Komaeda sighed. “I even told him about the hidden door to beneath the floorboards...”

“He’s off his fucking rocker,” Souda murmured in disbelief, backing away. “He’s... He’s completely fucking lost it...”

“T... That’s completely right, see!” Hanamura exclaimed desperately. “Komaeda-kun, he—he was way too dangerous to just leave be! So that’s why, I... I-I had to stop his plans! Guys, you gotta _understand_ , I was doing it for— _hhck_!”

His words were cut off by a strangled yelp when Matsuda yanked him upwards by his red handkerchief and shirt. His stubby legs kicked helplessly as Matsuda raised him from the ground, hands gripping the fabric so tight that his knuckles were bone white.

“Is that really your excuse?” Matsuda hissed, so infuriated that it just made Hanamura’s eyes brim with even more tears. “More damned _lies_ after everything?”

“M... M-Matsu...”

“You watched Komaeda set up the knife, the irons, the fucking AC—and you didn’t think to do anything about any of that? Komaeda fucking told you that he wanted to start the killing game no matter what—and you didn’t think to fucking tell anyone? You killed Togami, the one fucking guy that stood the firmest against all of that—and you have the fucking _audacity_ to say that you did that for us?”

“I... I-I didn’t...”

“Didn’t mean to?” Matsuda parroted icily, glare sharpening. “And what did I say to that before? Togami’s dead. Because of _you_. You had every goddamn opportunity in the day before that stupid fucking party formally began to pick any other option. And when you realized you killed the wrong guy, rather than coming clean, you willingly put _our_ lives on the fucking line as you tried to cover your _fucking_ ass over the crime you did. The innocent you killed. And you then say you did it for us. You call Komaeda crazy, but what the _fuck_ does that make you?”

“I-I...” Hanamura sniveled. “I-I... I just...”

“Do you really _not_ have an answer?”

“Matsuda!” Hinata exclaimed, taking his shoulder. “That’s enough. Let him go.”

Matsuda noticed his hands were trembling. Hanamura was trembling, too, eyes watering and nose running down his face. In that moment, Matsuda could be sure that this was one of the most pitiful faces he had ever seen. And considering he worked in hospitals—that was a pretty impressive thing.

“Let go,” Hinata ordered, much more quietly and in a much more strained voice than before. “I _mean_ it, Matsuda.”

Matsuda drops him, giving him a look of disgust. Hanamura yelps when he lands on his rump with a harsh thud. His necktie is considerably wrinkled, but the normally self-conscious Hanamura doesn’t seem to have the energy to try and smooth it out.

“Hanamura-san,” Sonia spoke softly and tentatively. “Are you alright?”

“I... I’m not...!” Hanamura’s fingers dug into his hair. “Komaeda-kun was supposed to be the one who grabbed the knife! So why was it Togami-kun?! Why him?!”

“...” Matsuda squeezed his hands, feeling the joints pop. “Togami—was dead set on making sure no one died under his watch. He swore an oath to protect everyone.”

“Togami-kun would’ve wanted to protect Komaeda-kun,” Nanami murmured. “He said as much.”

“With the night-vision goggles, Togami would’ve been able to see that you were trying to kill someone,” Matsuda said, not looking at Hanamura anymore. “Someone that he swore he’d protect. He couldn’t let that happen.”

“Even though Komaeda-kun was trying to kill someone, too?” Koizumi asked. “Why...?”

“When you promise you’ll protect someone, you’re not going to think of the logistics, you’re just going to do it.” Matsuda’s lashes lowered, dazed. “There’s no second thoughts, no hesitation, no choices—even if it means having to put your own life on the line. If you’re that _devoted_ to someone...”

_Ah... **Hah**..._

He felt so frustrated in that moment that he could cry. How beyond annoying. The goddamn headache didn’t help.

“Aah, Togami-kun...” Komaeda exhaled. “I really hadn’t expected that... Giving up his own life to keep his word—and despite his efforts, this is how things turned out.” He chuckles breathily. “Well! We mustn’t let such a tragic sacrifice go to waste! Overcoming this tragedy will only make everyone stronger!”

“Wha—is that really all you can think about?!” Hinata gritted his teeth. “After _all_ that?!”

“It was quite a lot, wasn’t it?” Komaeda giggled, wheezing again. So much so it sounded a little painful. “It went beyond expectations and I even got to live through it! Seeing the aftermath of Togami-kun’s death, and Hanamura-kun’s strength and determination... And everyone else...! It really would’ve been such a waste if I just left the whole matter alone. I didn’t mind trying to help him escape safely, and I told Hanamura-kun as much.”

_Really? Him of all people?_

Hanamura hiccupped, wheezing as well. It was a considerably less happy sound.

_...seriously...?_

“In the end, the others prevailed, especially you, Matsuda-kun,” Komaeda went on before perking right back up. “But that’s okay! Face your death with dignity, Hanamura-kun! It won’t be in vain, everyone will continue growing stronger and strong— _mmph_!”

Matsuda’s hand was definitely a little clammy, but he kept it firm over Komaeda’s mouth, keeping the other from speaking further. He had heard more than he really needed to, after all.

“Haven’t you said enough?” he asked lowly. “Haven’t you gone far enough? Aren’t you _tired_?”

Komaeda blinked at him, eyes wide and lacking any true understanding.

“Just...” Even if Komaeda wasn’t tired, Matsuda sure as hell couldn’t say the same for himself. “Just shut up. Be quiet for a bit. Someone died for you and—the least you could fucking do is mourn them quietly with your head ducked. At least for a little.”

Komaeda blinked again.

**_You really don’t get it, do you?_ **

“We... We can’t just leave that crazy fucker alone,” Kuzuryuu growled. “We should just kill him...!”

“You shut the fuck up, too,” Matsuda snapped, only mildly irritated. “Saying that shit when someone died so that no one would get killed is so goddamn tasteless.”

Kuzuryuu flinched at that, but he did falter, cursing.

“Besides,” Monokuma sing-songs. “If anyone’s gonna die, it’ll be Hanamura-kun. Using someone else’s murder scheme against them—being desperate enough to risk the lives of everyone else—yep! Someone like that deserves a most _exquisite_ punishment!”

“Hanamura,” Koizumi urged. “Why did you even _choose_ to kill someone in the first place?”

Hanamura’s shoulders hunched, and they quaked more violently than before.

“I... I-I just wanted to go home...”

Just like that, the tears began to flow. And flow. Undeterred, unabashed.

“Mama’s waiting for me. Back in our old country home. She’s all alone at the Hanamura Diner, struggling day to day, waiting for me to graduate and hurry on back.” His breathing hitched as he blubbered. “I swore to her I’d return the Ultimate Chef so that she wouldn’t have to work so hard no more... She’s tired... She’s just so tired... I-I don’t even know how much longer she can last... That’s why I had to go back... I _had_ to...!”

_Mom...huh?_

Matsuda flinched, feeling his insides twist. His head doesn’t hurt, but his heart does. And he absolutely doesn’t want to think about that.

“A-And then...my memories were taken,” Hanamura sobbed. That ache got worse. And worse. “How many years passed since?! I-I have no idea! What happened to the Hanamura Diner? What happened to my mom?!”

“Y-You said you didn’t believe that story,” Souda pointed out, voice shaking.

“I still don’t! I-It has to be a lie, it has to be! But...” Hanamura sniffled. “That’s why I had to go back—I had to see it for myself...”

“Even if it meant returning home with your hands covered in the blood of so many people?” Matsuda asked, grimacing.

“E-Even then! E...Even then... Oh... Oh god...” Hanamura nearly choked. “O-Oh god...what...what did I even do...? I didn’t want to kill Togami-kun, but when I heard about Komaeda-kun’s plan... Something inside me just...snapped. Something so...vile... I killed Togami-kun... And I said Komaeda-kun was crazy, but—it’s me. I’m...the one who went crazy...”

_Ba- **dump**._

“Then... What _did_ happen?” Matsuda turns his gaze to Monokuma. “You said it yourself—you’d return our memories as the first motive.”

“Please!” Hanamura yelled, tears still running unhindered. “Tell me what happened to Mama—to the Hanamura Diner—to everything! I won’t ask for pardon, but... I _have_ to know—!”

“Weeeeeeell.” Monokuma shrugs. “It’s not like I said I’d return your memories _immediately_ , right?”

**_What?_ **

“W-What?!” Hanamura choked out as Matsuda stiffened. Hanamura sobbed out, “No...!”

“That’s enough of that weepy sentimental crap!” Monokuma scolded. “It’s time to get the execution ball rolling!”

“Y-You can’t!” Monomi cried. “You mustn’t—!”

_Wham._

“Shut the hell up, Monomi!” Monokuma yelled as Monomi was left crumpled on the floor, clutching her cheek. “Don’t get in the way! Instead, let’s get down to business! Execution business!”

“I-I won’t believe it,” Hanamura whispered. “I-I won’t, I won’t, I won’t, I...”

“A special punishment has been prepared for the Ultimate Cook, Hanamura Teruteru-kun!”

“I-I... I, I, I... M-Mama... Mama...”

_“Iiiiiit’s punishment time!”_

Hanamura was still screaming for his mother as he was dragged away, and everyone else could only watch.

* * *

It had been—beyond words.

Hanamura quivering. The helicopter. Him being yanked away. All of _that_...

Matsuda was damn sure that Hanamura was still screaming as he was dropped into the lava, and when he was pulled out, fried like a tempura, Matsuda ended up finally falling to his knees and coughing up bile. There hadn’t been anything in his stomach, but he still didn’t think he’d be able to eat for a while.

“Urgh... U- _Urgh_...”

“H-Hanamura-san,” Tsumiki gasped, shaking. “N-No...”

Matsuda wiped off his mouth, looking around at the others. He wasn’t the only one that got sick. Pretty much all of them were horrified.

“Chins up, everyone!” Monokuma chirped. “The murderer has been punished! You should celebrate!”

“It’s YOUR fault he even became a murderer in the first place!” Koizumi cried.

“Y...You... You even tricked us!” Hinata exclaimed. “You made us think we’d get our memories back if someone was killed—but you went back on that!”

“Hey now, the proper term is _delayed_!” Monokuma huffed. “I’ll return your memories! Just give me time! Sheesh!”

“That’s so dirty!” Owari yelled.

“Don’t fuck with us like this!” Kuzuryuu screamed. “We have a right to fucking know what happened!”

“As I said! Give me time! Gooood, you kids are so impatient! Who taught you manners?!” Just like that, Monokuma bounced back. “But, whatever! Gyahahaha! _I’ll_ decide whenever! I am the adult here after all! Toodles!”

With that, he was gone, and Monomi scurried off after him.

“S-Sorry... Sensei has...urgent business!”

“Hey, wait!” Mioda groaned when the two disappeared. “Sheesh, those two just ran away...!”

“Hanamura, you idiot!” Koizumi sobbed into her hand. “Playing right into such—such a villain’s hands!”

 _Urgh..._ Matsuda managed to straighten himself, swallowing back extra bile. _There’s unfortunately a more pressing matter right now._

“Such a despairing outcome... Yes, despairing of truly hopeless proportions...” Wrapping his arms around himself, Komaeda took in a deep breath, smile twisting and straining at the ends. “But, it’s okay... Everyone will only get stronger even from this...”

“You bastard, smiling at a time like this!” Owari seethed.

“W-What a real freak!” Mioda yelped.

“Aha... Hahaha, oh, no, don’t get me wrong. I’m just as saddened by this as everyone else.” Komaeda’s arms tightened around himself, and he wasn’t looking at anyone in particular. “As the symbols of hope, I love each and every one of you from the bottom of my heart. I couldn’t possibly rejoice at the lose of one such symbol.”

“Cut that out or I really _will_ fucking kill ya!” Kuzuryuu demanded.

“Then go ahead,” Komaeda said easily, making the other recoil. “I’m open to being killed whenever. In fact, I’d be happy to be a stepping stone for any one of you.”

“Y-You...”

“G-Give it a rest...”

“How twisted _are_ you...?!”

“If anyone is going to kill me, I would however prefer to be consulted first,” Komaeda went on ever so cheerfully. “I’m happy to offer assistance, after all. There’d be no greater honor than that as fodder to further elevate your greatness!”

“So grandly you declare your willingness to assist in your own destruction,” Tanaka murmured.

“That could just be his strategy,” Saionji grumbled. “Like making culprits think there’s some worthwhile reason to keep him alive.”

_You really don’t have any value in your life, do you?_

**_Even after Togami died for it._ **

Matsuda pressed his lips together.

_What can even be done about you?_

“Let me just punch him!” Owari yelled, cracking her knuckles. “It’ll do us all a favor to give him one good right hook!”

“That’s enough,” Hinata said, sighing. “I just... I’ve had enough violence for today. And I don’t want to hear someone like that talk anymore.”

“...eh?” Komaeda blinked, smile falling. “Hinata-kun, do you hate me now, too?”

Hinata didn’t answer, but he did give Komaeda a pained look of what was absolutely heartbreak. Komaeda’s frown deepened.

“That hurts a little. I thought we were kindred spirits—two similar souls who admired Hope’s Peak.”

“I’m _nothing_ like you,” Hinata shot back venomously.

“Are you sure?” Komaeda asked innocently. “As Monokuma pointed out—it’s not like we know anyone’s true nature, and with those missing memories, can we even truly know ourselves? Isn’t that more especially the case for you when you don’t even remember your talent?”

Hinata’s fists tightened. Owari, too, cracked her knuckles.

“Owari, actually...”

“That’s enough.” Matsuda stepped between them, holding up his hands as Owari tensed. “There’s been enough violence today. Come on. What we all really need is to leave this shitty, tacky trial room.”

“I-Indeed,” Sonia muffled a sob before holding her head up high. “We should not fight each other. We must find our resolve. Let us return to above ground and get some rest. Tomorrow, we—we shall stand together once more.”

“S-Spoken like a true princess!” Souda exclaimed.

“Do you even have any other plan?” Kuzuryuu asked, to which Sonia shook her head.

“Regrettably no, but as the saying goes—a thing is better than no thing!”

“Oh my fucking god, I’m surrounded by idiots.”

“Spoken like an idiot in denial,” Matsuda mumbled to which Kuzuryuu glared.

“ _Watch_ it. Don’t say shit like ‘too much violence’ and then fucking antagonize me, got it?”

“Both of you are idiots,” Koizumi sighed.

“But it will be alright, I think, even if we’re not sure, maybe,” Nanami said, most encouragingly. “Let’s just do our best not to hurt each other anymore. If we just do that, then...”

“I’ll do my best!” Owari exclaimed.

“The future may be concrete, however we forge the path,” Tanaka said, arms crossed.

“We’ll fight to the end like REAL MEN!!!” Nidai boomed.

“Y... Yeah... That’s...” Hinata swallowed. “That’s right. L-Let’s all escape this island together...”

It was a pitiful attempt at self-encouragement, reassurances, and cheer. A fragile peace had been put in place, but there was still one thorn in its collective side.

“No matter what,” Komaeda murmurs, more to himself than to anyone else. “I’ll always be on the side of hope.”

Matsuda keeps an eye on him as they all exit the trial room, and he lingers after the group largely disperses on the beach. Hinata had rushed in the directions of the cabins, along with everyone else, but Komaeda lingered on that beach.

He kept smiling at the stars, and—for whatever twisted reason, Matsuda felt like they were smiling back.

_Creepy. Fucking **creepy**._

But in that moment, Matsuda couldn’t help but surge forward, taking Komaeda’s arm and squeezing.

Komaeda perked at that, turning to him with wide, creepily expectant eyes.

“Matsuda-kun?”

A smile touches his lips. The stars reflecting in that mossy green gaze twinkle back at him. Expectantly. Maliciously. Matsuda’s grip tightens. Just a little.

Not too much to hurt.

 _Never_ that.

Not in this situation that’s so painful for him that he wants to scream like he did when he was six. Scream and scream until his mom finally heard him. Because. He thought perhaps that’d reach through to her, even if the main bridge of the hippocampus was rotted. It could’ve happened. It was possible. She always hated hearing him scream.

He knows that for a complete stranger like Komaeda, that won’t do any good, but he’ll push on all the same.

_Togami died for this person—it’s stupid fucking luck that you’re someone I need to protect, too._

“Let’s meet up in the morning. At the old lodge. Can you remember that?”

“Ooh!” Komaeda’s eyes sparkled. “O-Of course, Matsuda-kun!”

“I’m not going to kill you,” Matsuda huffed, irritated with how Komaeda’s face falls in confusion. “There’s just—a lot of shit we need to discuss.”

_Let’s see just how bad you really are, Komaeda Nagito._


	10. Daydreamer Believer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's no one else here who will take responsibility.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, how long has it been? Much longer than I had hoped it'd be, that's for damn sure. How despairing. BUT. I FINALLY GOT TO A POINT IN CHAPTER 2 WHERE I FEEL COMFORTABLE RESUMING THE WEEKLY UPDATES. I'm not done with it yet, rip, but I should be able to update this story to the end of Chapter 2 without taking another hiatus. Um. If not, I'll post my address so that you can mail me angry letters. Don't visit me though.
> 
> Next week I'll be posting a bonus event. Unsurprising. I haven't even started writing it yet. Also unsurprising.
> 
> The chapter title is a reference because there's a sore lack of them in this fic. Too much of a lack to be a true dgrp property. Not that I'm getting paid or even compensated for this. Please leave me comments because that will support me emotionally.
> 
> Also, I feel bad for any readers that may exist who don't like Komaeda but I mean, the tags were there. I still feel bad though. Feel free to make reasonable suggestions on what to add to make the fic more enjoyable. I like making people happy even if they hate what I like.

“There’s this idea that you do anything if you put your mind to it. That is you just do your best and try your hardest, there’s nothing you’re unable to do. Even when you aren’t told this directly, the world around you carries this idea in its media, both fictional and otherwise. This supposedly hopeful sentiment is imparted as though it were a life lesson, but—it’s not the truth at all, is it?”

“...”

“It’s _easy_ to see it’s not the truth, and yet... People refuse to believe it. Normal, average, underwhelming people who try, over and over again, all because of that lie, even when they fail, continuously. People like that—are worthless trash, without a doubt.”

“...”

“Because! There are two kinds of people in this world—valuable individuals and worthless trash, determined at the moment of birth. A lowly nobody will never become a somebody regardless of the effort put forth—to pretend otherwise is to partake in a horrendous and harmful delusion. The world isn’t that accommodating. Would you tell a penguin that it could fly if it just tried hard enough? Would you tell a purse dog that it could grow to the size of a guard dog if it just believed? Of course not! And it’s the same with humans. You can’t _become_ gifted and talented. People are born with all their abilities, capabilities, and potential from the start.”

“...”

“Such is the case with everyone here, right? Which is why I admire all of you so much! Oh, but perhaps admire isn’t the right word. You typically desire to be more like an object of admiration, right? I’m not that self-serving, of course. So it’d be more accurate to say—I revere all of you. How to explain? It’s not self-serving, I promise, it’s more—pure. A selfless, unconditional love, perhaps?”

“...”

“Ehe. Hehehe. You’re looking at me like you would trash. Or perhaps the way you’d look at bugs scurrying on the ground. That’s okay. That’s alright. It doesn’t matter if my feelings remain unrequited because as long as everyone here does their very best, shines their very brightest, that’s more than enough for me. I don’t mind dying for the sake of others—but I want to do every measly bit that I can! As a stepping stone to greatness, my own hope is that you make the most out of my death. Regardless of who perseveres, killer or survivor, I anticipate the absolute hope that’ll blossom from such an intense clash. It really would be so lucky! Which is why—I’d like for you to reconsider.”

“...”

“If you of all people were planning to kill me, it really would be the highest honor, so... Won’t you reconsider? Shouldn’t you look more towards your future? If it’s you, if it’s Matsuda-kun, then, I’m sure that...”

“...”

_This is a fucking headache and a half._

“Don’t fucking badger me, Komaeda Nagito.”

“A-Ah!” Komaeda waved his hands frantically. “Oh no, no! That wasn’t my intention, Matsuda-kun! I would never dream of pressuring you down an unsightly path, although... I do think you should think about your own sake and for the sake of everyone else, of course.”

“I took an _oath_ , you dimwit. While I won’t hesitate if the other person is a threat, I have no interest in the business of getting numerous people killed for my own benefit.” Matsuda scowled. “Just what kind of doctor would that make me?”

“I... Oh.” Komaeda blinks at that, humming thoughtfully as he does. “Matsuda-kun’s so respectable. But, you know, this situation is rather extreme. Wouldn’t it be better for one person to escape than for all of us to stay trapped here and rot, thus wasting all our lives?”

“Was that why you helped Hanamura?” Matsuda made a face. “Although really? Fucking Hanamura? _That’s_ who you decided should be the one to escape? Even though he was the _worst_? Or was that also a factor?”

_Even so—he didn’t have to die. He shouldn’t have died, but he shouldn’t have killed someone, either. I can’t do anything for him anymore, short of escaping and checking that diner myself. But, the reason why he died is because of this fucking guy. This guy who..._

“Do you really think yourself so meaningless that all you can provide us with is your death in a ditch effort to help someone—anyone escape?” Matsuda asked, narrowing his gaze. “Or do you just really, _really_ want to die and this is just the best opportunity for it?”

“I am meaningless, but I just want to support everyone in whichever way I can,” Komaeda said fervently. “If that means dying, then, happily, I’ll...!”

“You’re deluded.”

“Ah. Haha. You’re so blunt, but that’s okay, regardless of how I’m treated.”

_...treated..._

“Hey.”

“Hmm?”

“How long have you been _sick_?”

Komaeda blinked. Once. Twice. And he beamed.

“Aha...! As expected of the Ultimate Neurologist! So keen! I received the diagnoses just before being accepted to Hope’s Peak, but of course, with our lost memories, who knows how long it’s been. Which is why I really should do all I can quickly! If I just stick around, I’ll become even more worthless than I already am. Something like that.”

“Hmph. So for the sake of clarity, what was the diagnosis?”

“Frontotemporal dementia. And stage 3 lymphoma.” Komaeda’s smile remains bright. “But I assume I’ve gotten treatment for the latter, considering I’m here despite being told I had about a year. Or that’s just my luck! One can’t ever be sure about what they don’t recall!”

“Pretty spry and energetic, in spite of that,” Matsuda mumbled, brow furrowing.

“I hurt all over and have very little stamina! But for the sake of hope, that means nothing!” Komaeda exclaimed, and Matsuda could practically see the spinning flowers in his aura. “For the sake of the Ultimate Hope, my meager body’s meager limitations are a mere trifle!”

Matsuda clicked his tongue irritably.

“Well if you end up overheating and passing out, while it’s more work for me, the others would probably prefer you be out of commission to out in the open. Still, carrying you back is going to be a bitch, just letting you know.”

“It’d be the perfect opportunity to kill me for sure, Matsuda-kun! Although if I’m unconscious I won’t be able to help you much past dying. But for someone like Matsuda-kun, my help could be unnecessary anyway!”

Despite saying that, Komaeda was looking at him expectantly. Almost like a dog begging for the ball to be thrown. With that kind of desperate, manic gleam, it wasn’t surprising that Hanamura had gone for it.

_I’m better than that._

“Not a chance.”

“So resolute! Even if it is disappointing to hear!” Komaeda squealed. “Matsuda-kun, you’re so cool. I’m so lucky just to be in your esteemed presence.”

Komaeda stepped closer, and reflexively, Matsuda stepped back.

“It is a shame,” he murmurs, almost breathily. “Someone like you—you deserve far more than to be trapped here. Are you sure you’re alright with that?”

“Of course I’m not.”

“Then won’t you reconsider—?”

“I won’t.”

Komaeda’s responding bout of laughter is more wheezy than joyful. When Komaeda meets his gaze, his eyes are that dark, swirling muddle from before. Like this, when both of them are in the old lodge, where someone had died to protect this person—someone like this who lacked the mental capacity to even comprehend the weight of that...

“While your resolve is admirable, I worry it may be misplaced.” Komaeda chuckles lowly. “You’re such a shining, talented individual. It really would be such a waste to let you rot away here. Matsuda-kun, please _do_ reconsider.”

“Aren’t you being presumptuous right now?”

“Presumptuous! Oh, dear, that’s not my intention! I speak out of concern and love, Matsuda-kun—no more, no less!”

“Oi.” Matsuda sucked in his breath. “Is there really no convincing you to live?”

_You even set up that whole scenario so that you would die. And when you weren’t the one murdered, you kept seeking death until it was clear that Hanamura Teruteru wasn’t going to get away with what he did. Seriously, someone like this—_

“Well, if I have no choice!” Komaeda guffawed, and he wipes the spittle from his chin. “I suppose it is still splendid to be alive if it means getting to witness everyone’s hopes firsthand, even if I’d hate to mourn the loss of more valuable individuals. Above all else, I just want everyone to push forward and overcome obstacles. But I want to help. More than anything. Please. Let me help.”

Despite Matsuda leaning away from him, Komaeda still stumbled closer, hand pressed against his own chest in a despicably desperate plea.

“There’d be no greater value that I can achieve besides that of being your stepping stone! As long as the most can be made from my death, then—what more can I even _live_ for? Matsuda-kun...”

_Jesus Christ. Is this real right now?_

“Matsuda-kun...are you hesitating?”

“...”

“Hey, Matsuda-kun...?”

_Haaaah._

“Matsuda-kun?”

_Well, for starters._

“Ma-tsu-da-kun?”

_Thump._

Matsuda perked up and covered the other’s mouth.

“Shut up for a second. I heard something.”

Komaeda’s breath was hot and humid against his hand. Fucking gross, but for now, Matsuda turned to the doors and focused.

_“ **Ack**! What’s—?”_

Matsuda’s sharp gaze narrowed. Pulling away from Komaeda, he strode towards the doors. Curious, Komaeda trailed after him. He let out a soft gasp when Matsuda yanked the door forward, and Souda tumbled to the ground, hitting the surface with a _thud_ and a low grunt.

“You know,” Matsuda said, voice higher. “It’s rude as fucking hell to eavesdrop. Don’t you know you never learn anything _good_ when you snoop?”

“U-Urgh. _Ow_.” Souda rubbed his chin. Matsuda could already tell that was going to bruise especially how red it remained even as Souda’s face paled considerably. “E-Eek!”

“Souda-kun!” Komaeda chirped, peering over his shoulder. Then, he noticed the other one there, tense and rigid on standby. “Nidai-kun! Good morning!”

“It’s way too early to be good,” Matsuda griped. He noted Nidai’s hands hidden behind his back. If the guy had been less beefy, he’d be able to see whatever the other was holding, but considering the situation, he could make an educated guess. “Something about the old lodge caught your eye?”

“We...!” Souda pushes himself back to his feet, still wincing as he rubs his chin. “We had important business!”

“That’s just going to make it hurt more,” Matsuda pointed out, unimpressed. “Seriously, stop messing with it. It’s basic fucking logic.”

“W-Well!” Souda grumbled, but with great effort, he pulled his hand down and shuffled them into his jumpsuit pockets. Shoulders hunch and yet he makes a clear attempt of forming at least a mildly intimidating scowl. “Basic logic would also be keeping a safe distance from that fucking nutcase.”

“Oh, me?” Komaeda asked innocently, pointing at himself. “Goodness. I would never dream of endangering Matsuda-kun! The opposite, in fact!”

“If you mean by me killing you, that _would_ endanger me, dumbass,” Matsuda snapped. “If anyone figured it out, I’d get executed.”

Souda immediately shuddered, and Nidai, too, gritted his teeth.

“Matsuda,” he said, low but still booming. “You should not say such things even lightly.”

_So you do know how to control your volume. At least a little. All the same._

“Why?” _Something about those words pisses me off._ “It’s my way of telling you not to worry about it. Don’t tell me you’re actually _worried_?”

“It is not _you_ who we distrust,” Nidai replied, growling.

“M-Matsuda, step aside,” Souda ordered, the waver in his voice exposing the cracks in his already poorly maintained bravado. The rotting floorboards beneath their feet were more stable. “You got your interrogating out of the way, yeah? Let us handle the rest.”

“How much did you two hear?” Matsuda asked coolly.

“E-Enough!” Souda exclaimed, pointing a trembling finger at Komaeda. “Especially with that _creepy_ fucking laughter!”

“So nothing outstanding?”

“It was just crazy rambling! What was there to hear?!”

“...”

_They missed out on the two important things said, sandwiched between all that nothing. That’s stupid fucking luck for you._

Well, it’s not like he was in the interest of spreading such information anyway.

“There wasn’t really anything,” he affirmed. “It was a whole lot of crazy.”

_Strangely, I’m not bothered as much as I should be. I largely feel numb. Any annoyance that’s there is mild at best._

**_Well, it makes sense I’d be desensitized to this kind of thing._ **

**_R̵̻̳̣͚̲͊̏̒͛ī̶̝͖̠͛g̵̢̛͇̝̙͖̊h̴̲̠͚̥̋̕͝ț̷͇͚̲̿̊?̸̛͎̺̘̞̆̆͘_ **

It was still a headache, all that said.

“He’s crazy—fucking  _crazy_!” Souda exclaimed ever intelligently. “He’s way too dangerous to just leave be! D-Don’t you think?”

“Obviously I do,” Matsuda said quietly. “It’d be beyond stupid otherwise.”

“Then, we should ACT!” Nidai yelled, discarding the volume control finally. “For not just ourselves but for the MEMORY of Hanamura and Togami!”

_...memory..._

Matsuda looks about. Togami had died in this room. He had known that when he picked it as a meeting place, perhaps out of some misplaced effort to grasp onto the spirit that guy had. Which was such a childish fucking notion that he almost feels ashamed to think about it now.

But, when he had stepped inside, all traces of the corpse were gone. Wiped clean. No bloodstains, not even discolorations in the wood. It was as if no one had ever died here. It was as if the previous night never happened. That should’ve been impossible.

Komaeda had the same smile he always did. Komaeda was watching all of them intently.

All this talk about memory—and right now reality felt fractured. Distorted, even. Matsuda couldn’t help but doubt his own perception, but there were a couple of things in clear focus when his gaze darted over.

The bruise on Souda’s pitiful face.

The rope in Nidai’s vice grip.

No pretense—the intent was blatant.

_It’s clear. It’s clearly—fucking stupid._

“I’m going to have to ask you two knuckleheads to reconsider.”

Souda jumped.

“W-What was that?!”

“Did I stutter?” Matsuda huffed. “I guess I could be clearer. I don’t agree with this course of action. It’s stupid and dumb and you should feel stupid and dumb.”

“H-Hey!”

“Komaeda is a DANGER!” Nidai exclaimed. “You AGREE with this!”

“Obviously, but the funny thing is that it goes both ways,” Matsuda said. “We’re as much a danger to him as he is to us. He’s trying to get himself killed and can only accomplish that with someone willing to kill him. Like how Hanamura had been.”

“If it hadn’t been for that guy, Hanamura wouldn’t have killed someone!” Souda yelled. “And he wouldn’t have had to die!”

“If it hadn’t been for Monokuma’s game, neither of those things would’ve happened.” Matsuda’s glare harshened. “You’re not letting this idiot distract you from the actual threat _again_ , are you?”

“Actual?! Like Komaeda’s not as much an actual threat?!” Souda hissed. “For all we know he could be the traitor Monokuma was talking about!”

“I don’t remember anything of the sort,” Komaeda spoke up. “I truly do only act in everyone’s best interests.”

“SHUT UP?! Y-You’re deranged and should just stay the hell away from all of us!!”

“He’s stuck on the islands with us,” Matsuda hissed, side-stepping so that he was more properly in between Komaeda and the fuming Souda. “It sucks but this is what we have to put up with because of our kidnappers. Now’s not the fucking time to get all worked up about it. Our number went down. A precedent has been set.”

“Because of him,” Souda snarled, pointing at Komaeda. “If it weren’t for _him_ —!”

“Really? Do you _know_ everyone here well enough to make that kind of call?” Matsuda cut him off frostily. “You didn’t know Hanamura well enough to consider _that_ fucking creep taking the bait.”

“Matsuda!” Nidai’s tone was stern, almost aghast.

_I’m not in the goddamn mood to be scolded by someone with fucking rope in their hands with this kind of idiotic plan in mind!_

“Consider that just tying him up and leaving him somewhere isolated is going to come with its own series of complications,” Matsuda growled. “Both of you are fucking stupid so I doubt you planned that far ahead. Is someone going to be here to make sure he doesn’t die of starvation or dehydration? That he doesn’t get fucking sick or drown in his own vomit? It takes at most six minutes. As little as four to cause further brain damage. Did either of you consider any of that? Do either of you even care about _any_ of that?”

_When Togami died just to protect him... Was that just forgotten about? Or was it not important enough? You said this was for his **memory**..._

“T-That—that’s for us to worry about!” Souda exclaimed. “So don’t concern yourself, Matsuda! We’re doing this for the group!”

_The group. **Hah**._

“Funny. Where have I heard _that_ before?”

**_Don’t fucking bullshit me so soon when I’m still in a bad mood about last night._ **

“Get your head out of your fucking ass. You’re just doing this because it’s fucking easier, not because you thought all that fucking hard about it and decided it was the best option.” Souda flinched, tensing as Matsuda glared. “Did you even fucking think about how this just makes Komaeda easier to kill? And that if he did die, everyone would suspect you?”

“H-He...” Souda stammered, much meeker than before. “I-I... We...”

“How fucking stupid _are_ you? Both of you!” Matsuda reared on Nidai next. “A major fucking reason _why_ Hanamura and Togami both got themselves killed is that they acted on their own without telling anyone! Let me guess—you also didn’t even fucking plan to _tell_ anyone afterward. If anyone _did_ ask about Komaeda, you’d just say something along the fucking lines of ‘don’t even worry about it’ or more heinously, ‘we have nothing to do with it’! Followed shortly after with ‘we did nothing wrong’! Am _I_ wrong?”

Nidai’s face contorted so that Matsuda half-expected to get throttled. He stood his ground.

“Disgusting. Pathetic. For the group my fucking _ass_. If that were truly the fucking case, you two wouldn’t look so guilty right now.”

“Ah, Matsuda-kun,” Komaeda murmured. “You really...”

“Shut up!” Souda snapped. “S-Shut up, shut up, just shut up! This is all _your_ fault! What the hell can even be fucking done about you?!”

“What are we _supposed_ to do?!” Nidai demanded heatedly. “Can you even ANSWER that?!”

“Leave him to me.”

Both of the idiots sputtered in disbelief.

“Wha— _huh_?!”

“WHAAAAAT?!”

“Leave him to me,” Matsuda said easily, without hesitating. “We can’t leave Komaeda to his own devices, but isolating him completely will just muddle matters further. And as I said, he’ll become an easier target. So _someone_ needs to watch him. I’ll do that.”

“Why?!” Souda yelped, utterly flabbergasted. “Why would you even want to?!”

“I don’t _want_ to, but it’s necessary,” Matsuda retorted. “And the solution is better than fucking tying up the guy and leaving him alone in this shitty lodge for an indeterminate amount of days.”

“W-What we should do is tie him up and leave you here to watch him!” Souda hurriedly pointed out.

“Well, yeah, that’s an option. But I have no interest in stepping aside and passively watching as you do that.” Matsuda shrugged. “So you’ll have to knock me out, first.”

“Y-You can’t be serious,” Nidai muttered.

“I absolutely am.” Matsuda clicked his tongue, arm thrown out to keep Komaeda from drawing closer, even unthinkingly. “If this is going to be how you dumbasses treat problem children, then you better fucking commit to it. I’m not going to play along if this is how you’ll run things.”

“F-Fine...!” Souda stammered. “Then...”

“Go the fuck ahead.” Matsuda tapped his cheek. Both Souda and Nidai clenched their fists. “I’ll even give you a freebie. I won’t pass out after one hit, I assure you. You think this is the first time I pissed someone off so much that I got punched?”

“ _You_ —!”

Unsurprisingly, Souda did take the bait that time, lurching forward and slamming his fist into Matsuda’s jaw.

It fucking hurt like hell, Komaeda gasped sharply, and though Matsuda didn’t lose his footing, having been braced for it, Komaeda still took his shoulders as if meaning to steady him.

“Matsuda-kun...!”

_Damn. For a wimp, the guy has a hell of a hook when worked up enough._

It seriously stung, and he can already feel the swell as he tenderly touches his jaw. Wincing, he grimaces as he tastes blood.

“Cut the inside of my cheek a little. But that wasn’t bad, I guess.”

Strangely, Nidai is now holding Souda back. Matsuda’s cold expression does not change.

“Is that it?”

“ ** _You_** —!” Nidai tightens his grip on Souda, with Souda’s expression twisting as he yelled. “Y-You’re a fucking freak in another way!”

“Souda, that’s ENOUGH.” Nidai yanked him back. “While a spar is all well and good under the right circumstances—we must not resort to violence against our allies!”

“A- _Allies_?!” Souda nearly shrieked. “You seriously think that fucker’s still on _our_ side?!”

Nidai is quiet, gaze rising to meet Matsuda’s. Matsuda quirked an eyebrow, head tilted but his returning glare resolute. Nidai grimaces in return, be it from sympathy or turmoil, and then he turns away.

“Let’s just go. While Komaeda is villainous, this is not right.”

“B-But...!”

“Matsuda had been instrumental in the trial. If he SAYS he can handle it, then I see no reason to doubt him.”

“Mmgh.” Souda still glares at them, but he clearly had the wind taken out of his sails with that fragile alliance crumbling then and there, so he wrenches himself free from Nidai. “Fine! What the hell ever! But—if that fucking creep does anything—it’ll be on that jerk’s head!”

“That’s fine,” Matsuda said simply. “That’s what it means to take responsibility after all.”

“F-Fine!”

Souda stormed off, Nidai following closely after him with one last tense glance, and then. The door slammed shut. There were two remaining. Two and the rope left behind, discarded and abandoned.

_Just like that._

“...fuuuck.”

Matsuda finally sunk to the ground, much to Komaeda’s dismay.

“Christ, it actually _seriously_ fucking hurts,” he groaned. “I deserved that at least a little but _God_. And I think I can smell fucking grease. That shark-faced freak doesn’t wash his hands, does he? Ew. So fucking _ew_.”

“Ah, Matsuda-kun...” Komaeda trailed off. “Why...no.” He shook his head. “It’s nothing. But that injury does look rather worrying. Shall I get ice?”

“If you can find any in this shitty old building, please do.”

“R... Right!”

Komaeda scampered off. Matsuda was too busy grumbling to watch him go. Thankfully, it wasn’t too agonizingly long before Komaeda returned with a bag of strange-smelling ice wrapped in a clean handkerchief.

Beggars can’t be choosers, so Matsuda just nodded idly as he accepted it. His eyes watered a bit as he pressed it to his jaw, the sting irritating him even more.

“You really are headstrong,” Komaeda giggles at his own bad joke. “Perhaps a little overly so.”

“The hell ever,” Matsuda muttered, rolling his eyes. “Since we so eloquently discussed all that— _thanks for keeping your shitty commentary to the minimal, by the way_ —I’m gonna hope you understand how things are going to be from now on.”

“Mm?”

_That’s such an ambiguous fucking sound it really pisses me off._

“I have no intention of leaving you alone, but I don’t trust the others to handle you properly, either,” he grumbled. “So it falls on me. From now on, from the second you leave your cottage in the morning to when you retire for the evening, I don’t want you out of my sight, got it?”

“Under these circumstances, if I did get killed, Matsuda-kun would be the first suspect,” Komaeda remarked. “How troubling.”

“The reason you’re even caught up on the whole dying thing is because you want someone to escape, right?” Matsuda asked coolly. “Lemme ask you—what the hell makes you think Monokuma’s gonna keep his word on that?”

Komaeda’s smile stiffened.

“Whatever do you mean, Matsuda-kun?”

“I mean, what’s stopping that birdshit bear from just declaring whoever has the majority votes as the culprit, regardless of if they’re guilty or not?” _Urgh. I hate the cold._ “He’s bullshitted us so much already. When do you think he’s going to return our memories? I sure fucking doubt it’ll be soon. It’ll at least be until he gets bored of watching us squirm, which, considering his personality, will take a fucking while. Someone like that probably wouldn’t want the game to end quickly, either. He’d _probably_ prolong it by any means, even if it’s under false pretenses.”

Komaeda doesn’t respond to that.

“We can’t rely on him,” Matsuda rambled on. “We have to rely on ourselves. On our capabilities. So, rather than hoping some freak furry with a despair fetish will follow through on words we have no reason to believe... Let’s just figure out a means of escape ourselves.”

Still no answer.

“Wouldn’t _that_ be more hopeful?” Matsuda asked, wincing and scowling as if his own words put a far more bitter taste in his mouth than the blood did.

“...ehe.” Komaeda giggled into his hand. “Matsuda-kun, you really are incredible! You might be right! But... I still would much rather die for everyone else.”

“Yeah,” he sighed. “I figured.”

_Of course, it wouldn’t be that easy, but..._

Matsuda let his eyes fall shut.

_It’s something, at least. I’ll manage, all the same._

* * *

“So, you get it now, right? I don’t want you leaving your cottage until I come to get you. And I don’t want you returning to your cottage if I’m not there to walk you back. Understand? If you stray too far for even a second, I’ll put you on a leash.”

“A leash, huh.”

“Push your luck even further and I’ll fucking lock you in said cottage and seal your windows. So don’t fucking push it.”

“That’s a little scary!”

“Right? So don’t. Fucking. Push it.”

“I guess I have no choice, ehe. But if it’s Matsuda-kun, I can’t mind it too much.”

“Don’t make it weirder than it needs to be.”

Tiredly, they finally arrived at Komaeda’s cottage, and Matsuda shoved him towards the door, still holding the ice bag against his cheek.

“I want to get an extra couple of hours of sleep after that fucking gong show. After that, I’ll get you. So your first test is to stay put until then. Do whatever. Just don’t leave your cottage until I come get you. Understood?”

Komaeda nodded, smiling as he always did. Matsuda couldn’t imagine a single other person having that kind of easy response. Somehow, he resented that smile even more.

“Do you really understand your situation right now?”

Without really thinking, he took Komaeda’s bony shoulder and squeezed.

“You’re not going to be alone anymore. You know what that means?”

He squeezed tighter.

“It means you don’t have to act out on your own. It means that you just have to rely on me. Don’t worry about anything or anyone else. Just me. Only me.”

He dug his fingers in deep enough to take root.

“So don’t do anything like _that_ ever again, got it? **Never**. **Again**. You’re not alone anymore, so, so...so...”

“Matsuda-kun.”

Matsuda perked up, blinking a few times. Through the dispersing haze, he took in Komaeda’s steady yet curious gaze.

“You’re hurting me.”

_Ah._

Matsuda blinked again, and then let go.

_Just what the hell was I—?_

“Right. Go on, then.” Matsuda shooed him away. “Get, get. Back in the cottage, demon.”

Just like that, the other laughs like nothing went amiss. He really was—eerily fucking good at that.

“Ahaha! Okay, okay! I’ll be seeing you in a bit, Matsuda-kun!” Komaeda opened the door, waving as he did. “Have a nice nap!”

And with that, Komaeda shut the door behind him. Not before Matsuda briefly caught a glimpse of him gripping his shoulder.

**_Hah._ **

Matsuda stood there, stare boring into that door before he pulled himself away.

_I’ll manage._

There was a weird glimmer in distance. And a blur of pink in the sky. Matsuda blinked once. Twice.

_I do need that nap, though._

* * *

He did end up conking out after putting a bandage on his cheek along with some ointment for the bruise. Rather fucking annoyingly, however, he’s woken up to someone banging on his door.

_Oh my fucking god can I trust anyone to act normally in the aftermath of two deaths for one fucking second?_

Matsuda griped as he pushed himself up. Drearily, he made his way to the door, yawning as he answered the knocking.

“If it isn’t important, go away.”

“Matsuda.”

Matsuda groaned even more loudly, opening the door a sliver, glowering at Pekoyama’s ever calm visage.

“I was wondering if you were going to join everyone at the restaurant.” A pause. “Komaeda politely declined. Kuzuryuu adamantly refused.”

_Well, there’s that._

“I don’t have much of an appetite after last night,” he mumbled. “And I don’t fucking want to deal with more of those boisterous idiots in the morning.”

“I see.” Pekoyama blinked, and her crimson gaze narrowed. Matsuda’s grimace deepened. “That injury. Did something happen?”

“That’s personal,” he bit out. “Don’t even worry about it. No one tried to kill me if that’s what you’re worried about. So butt out.”

“Very well.” And yet, she remained there. “I will inform the others.”

“Kay. Don’t bother me again.”

With that, he slammed the door shut.

_Something about the way that chick looks at me really does aggravate me._

* * *

He has a nightmare about crimson flowers, the color of freshly split blood, and the smell of dust. When he breathes, he coughs. He can hear smacking lips, soft purrs, softer giggles, the sound of someone gnawing on something meaty.

Distantly, it hurts. He can see blood-red ribbons of what looked like sinew.

Something smells disgustingly burnt. So much so that he recoils.

And just like that, he wakes up nauseous.

_Oh, sure, that’s how it’s going to fucking be._

His head is still buzzing, but what’s worse are the pangs—fucking _hunger_ pangs even though he still feels so goddamn ill. He still had snacks, of course. But all of them were the rice crackers he favored. Which were crispy.

He wasn’t in the mood for crispy. And likely wouldn’t be for a long while. Three days tops.

_But I need to eat before then. Now more than ever, I have to be alert. I can’t do that on an empty stomach._

Matsuda sighed until he ended up yawning. He slipped into his slippers and pulled on his wrinkled up lab coat. He notes the bloodstains on the edge of his sleeve. He touches his still bandaged jaw gingerly. The ache was dulled—he’ll heal soon.

_It’s a good thing that shark freak vented out some level of frustration. Bottling one's emotions until you burst could prove fatal here. Still. I’m a little fucking pissed._

He can get over it. If he had to. For now, there were more important concerns, like eating and babysitting.

“Look alive,” he drearily muttered to his feet. “Stay alive, too, preferably.”

* * *

“Hello again, Matsuda-kun!”

_Annoyingly fucking perky as ever._

“Did you leave your cottage?”

“After you left? Not until now.” Komaeda grinned. “Do you suspect I did?”

Matsuda shook his head.

“Nah. Pekoyama said you didn’t go to the meeting and I can’t imagine what else would lure you out. Save for a stroll, I suppose.” He gave Komaeda a Look. “If you have to go out and you don’t at least run that by me first, I’ll sever your Achilles tendons.”

“Scary!” Komaeda still laughs. “I understand, Matsuda-kun!”

“Right. We’re going to the restaurant, then.” Matsuda gestured for him to follow with his shoulder. “Come on. There probably won’t be anyone there but there should still be some food. If not, we’ll pick up something from the supermarket, I guess.”

“Yessir.”

For what it was worth, Komaeda was fairly attentive in following his lead and even seemed to be in a good mood. In terms of babysitting, he got a pretty undemanding job on the surface level.

_If not for his behavior before, I would’ve suspected that it was a misdiagnosis but... Factoring in that, his shitty filter, his appearance, and even his crappy handwriting—there’s at least some wires crossed. Even if it’s not a physical ailment of the very brain, it’s evident he needs to be supervised for everyone’s sakes, not just his own._

He’s done some care work in the past. It was years ago but the memories are fresh enough that he doesn’t mind it now. While the circumstances are significantly different, the situation akin to a perpetual lockdown, he can handle it. He has to.

_I didn’t come this far just to get fucked over on a fuckoff island in the middle of nowhere._

* * *

They arrive at the restaurant and it’s pretty quiet. Not even Owari is loitering, but evidence of her gourmandizing remained. So the others had left recently.

_There must have been something else to grab their collective attention. We’ll have to look into that later. For now._

“Urgh.” Matsuda grimaces at the food. It’s the same selection as before and all of it was so—solid. With how sick he still felt, he would’ve preferred something lighter. Maybe soup. The ingredients were there, at least. For now, he was just going to take what he could. “You, too. You also need your energy. Low stamina, right?”

“Right, right.” Komaeda prepares his plate. “You shouldn’t worry, though.”

“If you pass out, it’ll cause more problems for me, so shut up, it’s a concern. Don’t bitch so much.”

“Ehe. Hehe. Okay.”

They ate in awkward, slightly tense silence. Matsuda had to swallow back bile a couple of times, washing it back with juice. He wondered if he should start carting around nausea pills in addition to the headache medicine.

_Let’s just try to tolerate it for now. I’ve eaten in the aftermath of plenty of gruesome experiences._

But.

Nothing had been quite like that.

_I should just be grateful I saw it from a screen. It could’ve been worse. Him dying was inevitable but—to be taken out like that..._

Matsuda’s hands tightened into fists.

_So that’s the kind of freak we’re dealing with. If another person kills, we’re going to have to watch more of **that**._

He wondered what Togami would do or say. He then thinks, sardonically, that he doesn’t actually want to consider if Togami would still stand firm if he were alive after things went crashing down the way they did.

_That guy was putting on an act anyway. Just an act. But wasn’t that what the others needed? Sometimes a comforting deception is better. I don’t think that, though._

Matsuda sighed, sipping irritably at his juice. It stung his throat a little, but he managed to not choke. Komaeda had barely eaten his plate—and he hadn’t picked up much.

“Hey...”

“You really should eat!” A sugary voice yips the words instead. “Wuv, wuv.”

_Oh **great**._

“It’s you,” Komaeda said simply but still a little unimpressed. “Why are you here?”

“Y-You’re using such a cold tone!” Monomi yelped, shrinking in on herself. “I, um. I noticed that you two weren’t here before, so I thought I should catch you up on what happened. After all, with everyone on the same page, you can better work together. Love, love...”

“Hm.” Matsuda bit into his mango. “And? Yeah?”

“I defeated one of those nasty Monobeasts! So! You may explore the next island to your heart’s content!” Monomi beamed. “This can help you find the means of building a happier life here, right?”

“I have no interest in that,” Komaeda laughed. “But if it’s open to exploring, we definitely should. Aah, what surprises await? I’m excited!”

_So before **was** her fighting the Monobeast. But I’m not that curious about this side-plot._

“Hmm.”

_Still, to put it like that..._

“So the staff isn’t on that island,” Matsuda mumbled. Monomi flinched. “Are they on any of the blocked off islands?”

“T... There’s no one else here!” she squeaked. “So don’t worry about that!”

_No one else...? Well, I suppose it’s possible. Unlikely, but possible. There are other means of maintaining control even if it’s not on the islands themselves. Still, so much about this is weird, especially with...what that bitch just said._

“Do you really think we can live happily here after all this?” he asked, raising an eyebrow. “Who the hell would want to? A suicidal thrill-seeker?”

“U-Um. Well...” Monomi’s ears drooped. “Once we defeat that meanie Monokuma...”

_Huh._

“Even now, you’re dead set on us staying, aren’t you?” He really couldn’t understand it. He could understand Monokuma’s twisted fucking logic, but _this_? “What the hell is your game here?”

“It’s not a game!” Monomi protested. “I just want everyone to get along and live happily together! I-I swear! I want what’s best for my students.”

“...”

_So many people who think they’re acting in the group’s interest—all while locking the group out of the loop. It’s beyond aggravating._

“It’s not going to happen,” he said. “Monokuma spoiled everything. No one’s going to want to stay even after he’s taken care of. We all want to escape and can you _blame_ us?”

“U... Uuu...” Monomi whines. “The others said that, too, but... Escape isn’t possible...”

“Why do you say that?” Komaeda asked.

Rather than answering, Monomi instead squealed when Matsuda grabbed her by the ear.

“M-Matsuda-kun! Please no!”

“Calm your diaper. I’m just making sure you don’t run off.” Matsuda tightened his grip, inwardly marveling at how squishy it was. Shockingly soft, too. Monomi’s shrieking was far less pleasant. “Shut _up_. It’d be irresponsible to say something like that and then disappear without further explanation.”

“U-Uu...!” Monomi sobbed. “I-I don’t mean to be irresponsible...”

“Your field trip of friendship got hijacked by a killing game. You’re already a huge failure.” She wept at that. Matsuda clicked his tongue. “The least you can do is try and help us better understand our situation, right? _Sensei_?”

“I-I... I suppose...”

Despondent as she was, she at least seemed a little more complacent than before.

_It could be an elaborate act. But, for some reason, I doubt it. I don’t care to question why right now. There are more important questions to ask._

“Why exactly is escape impossible, be it by boat, rescue, or other means?”

Monomi pushes her little paws together since she lacked fingers to fiddle with.

“There’s...not a lot I’m able to tell you... But...” _Able?_ “No outsiders can find this island. Even Monokuma must’ve been...sneaked in, s-somehow. But I have no idea how...!”

 _Snuck in?_ Matsuda blinked. _By someone else here? **Who**?_

“Oh, Matsuda-kun, your face...!” Monomi gasped sharply. “What happened?!”

“Don’t worry about that right now _.” It took her so long to notice. Whatever._ “What about the people you answer to?”

Monomi blinked at him. Once. Twice.

“Or are you alone?” he asked. “Is there no chance we can be rescued? Is there no one out there even _trying_ to save us?”

She immediately snapped up.

“Oh! No! Someone’s definitely working very hard to save you! It... It’s difficult thanks to that meanie Monokuma, but they’re trying! If we all band together, we can prevail!” Monomi tried to muster up a confident front but it looked pretty damn pitiful. “So don’t lose hope!”

“What can you tell us about this someone?” Komaeda asked, eyes wide.

Just like that, Monomi fizzled.

“Um. N-Nothing. I can’t really tell you anything. S-Sorry.”

Matsuda dropped her and she landed with an _oof_.

“T-That doesn’t mean you should be discouraged!” she hurriedly yelped. “I-It may seem bleak and disheartening now, b-but, it’s going to be okay...if you just stay together and continue getting along... S-Sensei knows this...!”

“Looking at you worsens my mood, actually,” Matsuda snapped. “So get lost.”

“U-Uwah...!” Monomi sniffled, and she rushed off. “G-Good luck...! Hic!”

She was gone in the blink of an eye, leaving Matsuda with even less of an appetite than before and food that had gotten cold.

Komaeda hummed.

“She is quite _astoundingly_ useless, isn’t she?”

“Yeah,” Matsuda sighed. “She gave us some pretty worthwhile information, but it’s not going to be any help right now.”

_Her refusal to elaborate makes her worse than Monokuma in a way. At least Monokuma’s openly self-serving._

“She said someone on the outside is trying to save us when before that she claimed no outsiders could find this island,” Komaeda said, pondering it over. “Which is it, then? Does she mean her creator?”

_...her..._

Suddenly a burst of searing agony that nearly had him fall to pieces. Gasping sharply, Matsuda’s hands clamped over his ears as he broke into a cold sweat.

“—tsu—kun?”

It hurt so much that Komaeda’s voice sounded far-off and distant. He almost couldn’t make it out at all. It hurt. It _hurt_.

He doesn’t register someone gripping his shoulders, either, as his fingers entangle themselves into his hair and yank as if in the hopes that the screeching of his scalp would cancel out the pounding in his skull.

“—tsu—! _Breathe_!”

 Matsuda sucked in air and nearly heaved.

_Wrong. This. This is—wrong, wrong, wrong—_

**Ĭ̸̠ ̸͕̎d̴̰͒*̶̣́d̸͈͘n̸̻̊'̷̢t̸̤̿ _̸̺͝w̴̮̔a̶̲̮͑͛̈́̚͘͠ñ̵͕̭t̵̛̻͓͆̂͜ ̵̨͊͋̏̋͌̓͑_ @̶̨̛̫͈̑n̶̩͎͙̂̐͝7̴̧̛̃ ̶̜͎͇̈́̇9̴̳̙̿̀@̵̹̲̬̩̉̔̆ȓ̵̨͎̬t̶͉͔̦͗ ̸̡̣͗̈0̵̻͖̠̼̿͌4̵̹̜͙̋͠ ̶̱̈́̈́ť̴̬H̸͔̗͇͋͌͝ͅ1̵͕͐̋̉̀ͅͅ5̸̘̩̅**

Matsuda scrambles for the pills in his pocket. His hands are too clammy to open the bottle, but somehow, something cold pops them open anyway. He wastes no time spilling several into his hand and downing them with juice. That chill rubs his throat as he swallows.

“...there, there, that’s it...”

He shuddered, and then, blinking a few times, he realizes.

“Get. Your cold fucking hands _away_ from me.”

“Ah, sorry!” Komaeda yanks himself away, hands in the air. “I really am sorry, Matsuda-kun!”

“Urgh...” All that extra sleep for fucking naught because Matsuda feels more exhausted than ever as he rubs at his eyes. “No. I have no idea what the hell that was about. Uh...”

He blinks. Slowly. Confusedly. He looks around. It’s just the restaurant. Empty except for them.

“What...were we talking about again?”

“Do you not remember?” Komaeda asks, head tilted and voice low.

Matsuda blinks again.

_Do I...? What?_

His mind feels weirdly blank and his eyes squeeze shut as he tries to focus on—something pink? The back of his eyelids, probably, but also— _oh_. Right.

“That rabbit...right.” He nods drearily. “That, uh—there’s not much point trying to ponder what she was talking about because there’s so little information and what was there...isn’t going to help right now... Did I say that already?”

“It’s okay,” Komaeda said cheerfully, avoiding his question with the grace of a dancer tripping during a performance. “For now, we should go investigate the new island opened up.”

_New island...right. Yeah. I haven’t forgotten about that._

“Sure thing.” He wipes his hands down. “Let’s go.”

_Whatever the hell that was about—it might be better to just move past it for now._

* * *

Walking a bit alleviated some of the drowsiness, but not the sweat. He still felt ridiculously fucking gross and the tropical sun overhead was not helping matters. _Urgh_.

So Matsuda ended up pausing, gripping onto Komaeda’s sleeve so that the other didn’t go too far ahead.

“Hmm?” Komaeda turns to him, frowning a little. “Are you feeling sick again, Matsuda-kun? You are looking rather pale.”

_Says the demented bedsheet._

“S-Shut up.”

_Says the brilliant fucking brainiac babysitting said bedsheet._

“Mm...” Komaeda, who was fucking a-okay with trying to cover up a goddamn murder, looked unsure and uncertain. “That’s not much of an answer.”

“Shut _up_ ,” he snapped more firmly to compensate.

Someone was humming. Two pairs of footsteps were in unison. Matsuda perked up, just as the steps paused and someone exhaled.

“Oh. There you two are.”

“What are you gross freaks doing together? Don’t tell me that you were together this morning, too?” A snicker. “Wow, Matsuda-nii’s a pervert _and_ a manwhore.”

_I’m both blessed and fucking cursed for this distraction._

“Koizumi-san, Saionji-san, good morning,” Komaeda greeted pleasantly as Matsuda turned to the two irritably, scowling as per usual. “We weren’t together, aha. Please don’t get the wrong idea. Someone like Matsuda-kun with scum like me is simply just—!”

“Hey.” Koizumi thankfully cut Komaeda off, face pinching up at the sight of Matsuda’s face. Matsuda’s scowl deepened as her brow furrowed. “Your face. What happened?”

“It’s whatever,” he grumbled, touching the bandage on his jaw. “I’m not exactly in the mood for talking.”

“...” Koizumi bit her lip as Saionji blinked a few times.

“I’m just surprised you haven’t been punched sooner,” Saionji said innocently and Matsuda noticed, then, that she was clasping Koizumi’s hand and squeezing. “But wow, that’s fucking pathetic, getting punched by _Souda-nii_ , of all people.”

Matsuda quirked an eyebrow.

“Souda was...pretty irritable when someone mentioned you,” Koizumi explained, albeit lamely. “I did find it strange—but to think he _punched_ you. What in the world happened?”

“He was being a fucking impulsive idiot,” Matsuda snapped.

“Oh, no, it was just a disagreement,” Komaeda said. “Matsuda-kun, you really should make things up with him soon. It’s no good to have symbols of hope bicker!”

“ _Haaaah_? I was the one that got punched and he was the one being an unreasonable fucking idiot, why should _I_ take responsibility here? Just because I’m more mature?” He huffed. “Yeah. Not going to happen. I have nothing to apologize for.”

“Aw, Matsuda-kun...”

“Mmgh.” Koizumi sighed. “You’re being so childish. _I’ll_ talk to Souda later.”

Matsuda perked up at that.

“Mahiru-nee, don’t even worry about them!” Saionji exclaimed. “Let those losers kill each other! What does it _matter_?”

“It’s better that someone be mature around here, Hiyoko-chan,” Koizumi said tiredly, smiling just a little. “And as unfortunate as it is, you can’t expect that much from boys.”

Just as Matsuda opened his mouth to comment, Koizumi spun on him, aggravated and scolding.

“Seriously! You look like a mess! Have you showered?! Before meeting up with the others, you should at least make yourself presentable! Hiyoko-chan and I _just_ came back from the public baths, so it’s just right that way! Go, _go_!”

“Christ, what are you, my _caretaker_?”

Komaeda just laughs.

“Koizumi-san’s keeping you on a tight leash, isn’t she?”

Saionji’s response was to childishly cling to Koizumi.

“Back off, creep!”

“Oi, you really think I’d be into...?” Matsuda pauses at seeing the flash of a slightly exasperated smile across Koizumi’s lips. He clicked his tongue, and then yanked on Komaeda’s sleeve. “Whatever. Showers are healthy, unlike being forced to socialize. Come _on_ , you.”

“A-Ah! Okay, Matsuda-kun!”

Komaeda nearly stumbles, and Saionji, too, pulls Koizumi away. Matsuda does glance back briefly and notes how the two are both rather cheery.

_They’ve gotten close rather suddenly, huh. Well, if it pacifies that gremlin, we really should be thankful._

“Matsuda-kun?” Komaeda’s grin widens. “Are you jealous?”

“Are you _five_? What kind of loser would be jealous of that?” _The mechanic guy, probably. Maybe Hinata, too._ “But I guess it’s a good thing those idiots can still make friendly despite...last night.”

“The symbols of hope really are a force to be reckoned with!” Komaeda chirped. “The power of friendship— _incredible_!”

“Oh my god. You’re five.”

_Well, they don’t call it **babysitting** for nothing._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Bonus Bathing Scene.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17932241/chapters/49560146)


	11. The Flow Of Information, Good and Bad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So fucking selective on what you are and aren't willing to share.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ironically, this section fought me when I tried to post it earlier. We had to go two rounds. I won as you can see but am also still smarting.
> 
> This is mostly exploration on the same level as the character introductions aside from a few stand-out conversations. It's pretty lowkey as a result despite the topic being a little weighty. It really is a tough question on how much you should and shouldn't reveal to others because... Knowledge is power. Knowing is half the battle. All that stuff, lol. I do often wonder how I'd react in such a situation. Considering how I'm not always the most open person, I suspect I'd be pretty untrusting. Would that get me killed?
> 
> Hm, hm.
> 
> Anyway, please enjoy! Comments are much appreciated!
> 
> Also there are some stuffs I could say about Nanami, but I don't exactly know what to say. Lol. She's probably going to come across as much different but keep in mind the different perspective. If this were Hinata's POV, nothing about her would be all that different. Maybe. I think.

Just as Monomi said, the second bridge was open. Several huge buildings protruded upwards on the next island, one in particular was completely overtaken by plant life.

“The feel is a bit different from the main island, isn’t it?” Komaeda asked cheerily.

“Tch.” He clicked his tongue. “Let’s just go. The others are already investigating, but it won’t hurt to get a look for ourselves.”

“We can trade notes!” Komaeda chirped. “Just like we did at the beginning!”

_When Togami was calling the shots. This guy really has no awareness of his situation._

It couldn’t be helped, so Matsuda just moved on.

* * *

The first place they looked at was the most standout one. Huge and looming, flanked by small plateaus and infested with various vines and small trees, growing from its sides and roofs. The material seemed to be crumbling cobblestone, but—the shape of the structure was...familiar. Annoyingly so.

“It kind of looks like Hope’s Peak, don’t you think?” Komaeda asked. “What interesting ruins!”

_There’s no doubt from the state of things that these **are** ruins... But it also really does have a shape so similar to Hope’s Peak that it’s uncanny._

Matsuda huffed and tugged Komaeda along.

“Come on. We’re getting a closer look.”

“Right away, Matsuda-kun!”

Komaeda seemed more and more excited as they drew closer, eyes widening and taking in the forlorn, almost melancholy beauty of the crumbling buildings and thriving, parasitic greenery crumbling them further. Matsuda grimaced, covering his mouth and nose with his sleeve.

_It even smells old and dilapidated. Just what’s up with this place? Why does it feel so—strange?_

The blue sky overhead almost seemed to blur into gray, as if the building was a drain on the very light rays.

Matsuda squints, and for a second, he can see the sky darkening, dyeing into a hue more akin to—

“Ummmm.”

Aaaaaand gone. Back to dull-ass tones and blue. All thanks the dull-eyed girl standing before them, staring at them.

“Nanami-san!” Komaeda exclaimed. “So, you were here, too?”

“Yeah... I was investigating.” Nanami pursed her lips. “Neither of you two were at breakfast this morning. Souda-kun was pretty agitated when asked about you, though... I think.”

“Yeah,” Matsuda huffed. “We heard already. It’s whatever.”

“Your jaw’s bandaged,” she pointed out intelligently. “Is that also whatever?”

“Did I fucking stutter?”

“Anyway!” Komaeda cut in. “What discoveries have you made, Nanami-san?”

Nanami just stares at him more, which irritated Matsuda further. After a while, her head tilts, expression unchanged and so insipid that it made the ruins look lively.

“I’m still investigating. So, you should go.”

“At least let us get a proper look around,” Matsuda snapped.

“You should check in with the others, probably. I think that would be better.”

_Seriously?_

“The building is rather peculiar, though,” Komaeda mused. “I would prefer a closer look at it. After all, the shape’s pretty appealing, ehe.”

_Just because it looks like Hope’s Peak? Although..._

“I get a weird feeling about it,” Matsuda said. “Like there’s something...off. Something that I...”

He ends up trailing off, and he can almost swear something about the ruined buildings is distorting. Twisting. Was that a _door_? Hey—

Wait.

_Have I **been** here before...?_

“Matsuda-kun?”

He quickly snapped out of it, feeling strangely faint and disoriented.

“You spaced out a little there,” Komaeda said worriedly. “Maybe we should leave this to Nanami-san for now.”

“Yeah, you should go,” Nanami said. “The others are wondering about you. So, go. I’ll handle everything here.”

“...” Blinking a few times to reorient himself, Matsuda grumbled as he rubbed his temples. “Just what the hell are you so pushy about anyway? Is it something about this place?”

“I guess you could say that. It kinda feels special.” Nanami paused. “I guess.”

“You guess,” he repeated, unimpressed. “Except you’re acting so fucking weirdly about it.”

_The last time the space cadet was like this was during the trial—when she fucking knew I was trying to cover for this dumbass to keep the trial from derailing and she kept fucking pushing._

“It’s a pretty weird feeling,” she replied. “I guess.”

_She really, really pisses me off actually. Honestly, something about these ruins and her do feel—similar._

**_What the hell is_ that _about?_**

“Nanami-san can be sharp sometimes,” Komaeda said cheerily. “Meanwhile, Matsuda-kun is almost too sharp for his own good.”

Urgh. Again with those words. It was either an unfortunate coincidence or the universe’s idea of a shitty fucking joke to have those words thrown back at him. Togami had said it. During that _damn_ party.

_People really are so fucking useless sometimes, especially when they’re trying to do everything._

Nanami didn’t look at him the way Togami did. Not expectant, not suspect, not even with a sliver of restrained interest. Nanami’s gaze remained unstirred, and it really was beyond fucking creepy.

“She can also be narcoleptic,” Matsuda pointed out, averting his gaze with a huff. “How are we supposed to trust that she won’t just fall asleep and die choking on dust after we leave?”

“I won’t do that,” she said. “Probably.”

_That’s not very reassuring._

“She said she won’t,” Komaeda said. “Probably.”

_What was I expecting again?_

“I still have some energy packets,” Nanami went on. “If I take them, will you hurry up and leave?”

“Urgh.”

“Let’s go, Matsuda-kun,” Komaeda said. “We’ll look around later.”

He’s clearly not going to get anywhere.

“Mmgh.”

Nanami’s cheeks puffed.

_Do you not want us looking around at all?_

“Whatever,” he grumbled. “If both the zombie gamer and the demented dandelion say it’s fine, I guess it’s fucking fine. We’re going, then.”

Komaeda nodded, skipping after him after waving goodbye.

“Good luck, Nanami-san.”

He glanced back only briefly to see if Nanami waves back. She doesn’t. She just stands there and stares.

He ended up looking away quickly, turning his gaze forward.

* * *

“Ooh! A library! What a magnificent size, too!”

“Yeah...magnificent. I’m glad this stupid fucking island has a goddamn library next to the weird-ass ruins.”

“The selection must be vast! From mystery novels to medical texts to manga!”

“Then what are we waiting for? Hurry up. God, you’re so _slow_.”

“A-Ah, I’m hurrying, Matsuda-kun!”

The library almost looked like a university-level one. It must have been old, although compared to the ruins... Really, he just questioned the placement of it being so close by. Maybe it’s for when people were investigating the ruins and they needed somewhere close by to store their findings?

_Or something._

When Matsuda pushed open the door, Komaeda immediately skipped in, delighted with everything he saw.

“It really is marvelous! It’s even bigger than the one at my parents’ house! There’s so many books, Matsuda-kun!”

 _Not as many as I expected, actually,_ Matsuda thought. _No protruding shelves. Just desks and that stupid fucking security camera. The interior of this place really is weird._

For what it was worth, there was a shitton of books, each one slotted into the wall. There were two floors, only for the sake of being able to shelf more books on the wall from the looks of it. The second ‘floor’ was more of a pathway. The interior of this place was really fucking weird.

They also weren’t alone. Sonia seemed engrossed in some magazines and Pekoyama glanced at both of them, mostly at Komaeda. Unsurprisingly. Matsuda looked at him as well, grimacing as Komaeda cheerfully gallivanted about.

_That dumbass seems happy, at least._

Matsuda paused when he noticed the eyesore of a proud Monokuma statue atop the pedestal...and also the smashed statue of Usami before she was Monomi on the ground. Scribbled on and in pieces, it almost looked more pitiful than how the actual thing turned out.

_And this didn’t get cleaned up? Guess the fucker considers it an accomplishment._

It wasn’t the only statue like this. There were at least four statues propped up, each with a cocky Monokuma standing tall over a broken Usami. Great. Even the fucking library was tainted by bullshit.

“They even have cooking books!” Komaeda exclaimed. “I wonder what else... Oh! A travel brochure!”

_Cooking books might be helpful for later, but right now..._

Matsuda exhaled, going over and peering at said brochure over Komaeda’s shoulder.

“ _Welcome to Jabberwock Island_ ,” he read dully. “ _You guys are welcome!_ Weird how I don’t feel the slightest bit of gratitude.”

“It’s in English,” Komaeda remarked. “I guess that makes sense, considering the namesake. But...” He flips through. “It says this place is a popular resort among the rich. Togami-kun mentioned he heard of it earlier—is this why? A lot else fits the description he gave.”

_He was also being cagey about it. I wonder if there’s more to it._

“Hmm?” Komaeda perked up, reading it over a couple more times. “What’s this?”

“Hmm?” Matsuda pulled the other closer, trying to get a better look. “What’s what?”

“A-Ah, Matsuda-kun! Careful!”

Matsuda snatched the pamphlet from his hand. He scanned it quickly.

 _Welcome to Jabberwock Island._  
You guys are welcome!  
  
Jabberwock Island is a small island in the Pacific Ocean.  
It is worthy to be called the island and the scenic tropical paradise.  
  
Around the small island where is central in the Jabberwock Island;  
it is an archipelago consisting of five islands around it.  
  
The five islands are developed as a resort area shared.  
There is the big building where administrations gather in the central island.  
A bronze statue representing the island is put on the top floor.

Matsuda blinked. Once. Twice.

“...there wasn’t any administrative building on the central island. What the hell is up with this false advertising?”

“Yes, I thought it was strange myself,” came the soft remark behind them. A pause. When they look back, Sonia softly gasps. “Oh. I do apologize for intruding. Matsuda-san, Komaeda-san, it is good to see you doing well.”

“Greetings, Sonia-san,” Komaeda returned cheerily. To Sonia’s credit, she retained her polite smile. Matsuda, grimacing, flipped through the pamphlet himself. “So you’ve seen this, too?”

“It is strange, isn’t it,” she said, pursing her lips. “In addition to the lack of administrative building, there are other discrepancies.”

_She’s right. It also mentions the use of a ferry service to travel between islands instead of bridges. In fact, according to this, the construction of bridges was explicitly prohibited due to potential damage of the environment._

“I thought perhaps it was an old pamphlet,” Sonia murmured. “But...”

_It looks recently printed._

“Matsuda-san, Komaeda-san,” she says, sterner than before. “Monokuma had told me something quite odd when I and Hinata-san inquired."

_Hinata was poking around earlier? I would hope that hapless dumbass didn’t need a princess to read._

“What did he say, Sonia-san?” Komaeda asked.

“He said that if it were the work of that certain group then even artificial islands would be possible.” Sonia’s frown deepened. “A certain group rivaling in power to...”

_Novoselic royalty, the Kuzuryuu Gang, or the Togami conglomerate. Earlier we pondered about that. Obviously, Monokuma would’ve eavesdropped._

Komaeda hummed. “So like Palm Jumeirah?”

“Exactly like Palm Jumeirah!” Sonia exclaimed. “Komaeda-san, you’re aware of it as well?!”

“Ah, yeah...”

_If it were artificial, that would explain the absolute sense of control on display. However, there are still many ways that doesn’t make any sense. For example, why Jabberwock Islands? Why not an entirely new location?_

Thinking this hard about it gave him a headache.

“Monomi also said that she had this library built for the sake of studying,” Sonia went on. “Is that not also strange?”

_...that fucking rabbit said a lot of things._

“Is that so?” Komaeda asked cheerfully. “This is quite a curious situation, isn’t it?”

“It is quite the hefty inquiry,” Sonia sighed. “But, considering those involved, perhaps it is best to not ponder too deeply.”

“That might be true, but it’s still something to keep in mind,” Komaeda chirped. “After all, it’s not very _hopeful_ to keep your eyes and ears closed to every bit of information just because the source is a little suspect. As Ultimates, you’ll discover the truth, I’m sure of it.”

Just like that, Sonia’s face fell and twisted with discomfort. Matsuda elbowed Komaeda sharply, earning a light yelp. Komaeda, of course, was just confused about that, but he had an accepting smile all the same.

_He didn’t say anything wrong per say, but given the circumstances of what happened recently, he’s not the one who should be wording it like that._

“Let’s take it with a grain of salt for now. If we find any evidence supporting the claim, we should look a bit more into it,” Matsuda said. “Sometimes, things just need to be temporarily put on the backburner to move forward.”

“Oh, yes, I agree!” Sonia perked right back up. “Let us move on for now! Onto more cheerful topics!”

_That’s not really moving forward. But, actually..._

He did notice something—odd about the magazine in Sonia’s hands. She had been reading it before butting in on their conversation, presumably. The language, it was—

_Is that...Spanish?_

Well. He shouldn’t be surprised a princess was multilingual. He shouldn’t be surprised something like that was in this library, considering Jabberwock was a resort. Still—the cover was rather off-putting, with blurred pictures of strung up bodies. He knew some level of Spanish, not much. However, if he had to guess, one particular phrase was—

_Mysteries of the Occult? The dedicated section of this issue is... Series Assessment? No, assessment wouldn’t work._

“Ah.” Komaeda swallowed and cleared his throat. “Sonia-san... Is that issue about...serial killers?”

The fact that Komaeda seemed kinda uncomfortable spoke volumes.

“You could tell! I just knew we shared this interest, Komaeda-san!” Sonia squealed. “Fascinating, isn’t it?! Ooh, can you read it?!”

“A little, but not much...” Komaeda trails off. “But I’ve heard about Genocider Syo in the news, aha. I recognize their handiwork on the cover.”

“Right! Isn’t it _fascinating_?!” Sonia exclaimed. Komaeda was looking towards Matsuda as if pleading for aid. Matsuda just stared back, unmoved as Sonia grew more frenzied. “A praiseworthy symbol of our current generation! Supposedly, they wear the sailor uniform of either a high school or middle school girl! So do be forewarned!”

“Ah, yes, I see.” Komaeda nodded feebly. “You have quite...distinct tastes, Sonia-san.”

_I know one high school girl we should probably avoid from now on. Shame, too, she was one of the more tolerable ones before, but... Yeah._

Someone who got excitable over true crime—maybe not the kind of person he should let his guard down around.

“She was babbling about it earlier to Hinata, as well,” Pekoyama said, almost sympathetically. “I suppose she does not have many people to...share her interests with.”

“Oh. Really, now?”

Considering how Pekoyama also butted in without making a sound up until now, he shouldn’t let his guard down around her either.

Sonia was now ranting about someone called Kirakira-chan, something about masks, something about justice, just so _much_ that just made Matsuda wish he could be relaxing and reading manga in this damn library rather than—whatever the hell this is.

“It is rather unsettling, isn’t it,” Pekoyama murmured. “Even Komaeda looks disturbed.”

Komaeda was still smiling, nodding along politely, but he was paling more and more by the second. At this rate, he was going to collapse. As funny as that would be in terms of irony, it’d be a hassle for him, so...

“We’re going to keep investigating,” he finally cuts in, pulling Komaeda back by the hood. Sonia blinked at him several times—the picture of abject innocence.

“Oh. Right.” She smiled brightly with so much poise that it was a little terrifying. “Continue on. I did so enjoy this conversation. We should do it again, Komaeda-san.”

“Maybe not,” Matsuda said, covering Komaeda’s mouth before he could answer. “I have to keep an eye on him at all hours the second he steps outside. I’m really not that into your serial killer fetish. Try someone else like...that gremlin in the kimono. She might be interested.”

“You really think so?!” Sonia seemed so hopeful that it was almost disgusting. “Then I will discuss this with Saionji-san as soon as I see her!”

Right. Best of luck.” He shuddered at the hot puff of air against his hand and pinched Komaeda’s cheek in irritation. “We should be going.”

“Oh. Wait.” Sonia held up a hand, expression now much more serious than before. “I deeply apologize. I got caught up and did not ask before, but—Matsuda-san. How did you get hurt?”

Pekoyama shot him a meaningful glance from over Sonia’s shoulder. Komaeda was quiet. Matsuda grit his teeth.

“What of it?”

“As a class, I would like for us to all get along,” Sonia said serenely. “More so now under these—circumstances. If there is quarreling amongst our peers, especially if it results in acts of violence, I do not think I can simply turn a blind eye.”

“How gallant!” Komaeda exclaimed. “As expected of the noble Ultimate Princess!”

Sonia’s lips twisted and twitched, but she focused her stare on Matsuda, so intent that he couldn’t really snub it.

_That’s... Ultimate something, alright. Still. You weren’t willing to step up before. You’re shaking a little, princess._

“It was a disagreement, but it’s been settled now.” _Koizumi’s already going to scold him. He’d probably die if the fucking princess joined in._ “Don’t worry about it.”

“Really?” Sonia’s brow furrowed. “I do remember Souda-san acting...rather strange this morning.”

_He’s definitely going to die. Hope that doesn’t constitute as trial worthy._

“It’s been settled. Don’t worry.” With that, he yanks Komaeda away. “Well then. See ya.”

“Oh, yes. See you two.”

Komaeda waved cheerily. Sonia was probably waving too, just to be polite. Pekoyama—well, Matsuda could still feel her boring stare and he decidedly still didn’t like it.

**_Urgh._ **

“Sonia-san really is kind, isn’t she?” Komaeda chirped. “She’s so kind!”

_And despite that..._

“Her interests are unconventional and honestly kind of alarming, but,” Matsuda had to sigh. “Yeah. She is.”

* * *

Upon seeing the pharmacy, Matsuda immediately perked up. It looked tacky but—a pharmacy. The island had a _pharmacy_.

_Ah. Right._

“You don’t have your medical records on you, do you?” Matsuda asked, biting the inside of his cheek. “Of course not, who would just carry that around...”

“I do have the medication that I was prescribed before coming here,” Komaeda said serenely. “I know what to look for.”

_Oh. **Huh**._

“That’s...really good, actually, even if I’d also like some paperwork.” _Still, what would be really ideal is being able to run tests myself. The brochure did say there was a hospital—but it wasn’t on **this** island, was it?_ “Mm.”

_That rabbit...can she really take down those Monobeasts without any powers? On the off chance it really isn’t an act and she is trying to work against Monokuma... Urghhhh. I hate having to ask incompetent things for help, but..._

Matsuda hissed.

“Matsuda-kun?” Komaeda pokes his shoulder curiously. “You’re making a rather scary face but seem to be in a lot of thought!”

“Yeah, standing here and mentally agonizing over matters isn’t going to help,” Matsuda sighed. “Especially since that asinine lapin just shows up whenever the hell she feels like it.”

“What are you talking about, Matsuda-kun?”

“Nothing, nothing.” He waves Komaeda off before finally dragging him into the building. “You said you know your prescriptions? Go grab them so that I can take a look.” He shoved him forward. “Hurry up.”

Komaeda stumbled but obediently nodded.

“Sure thing, Matsuda-kun!”

There were rows and rows of the expected products from medicine to ointment to even detergent. Well-stocked, if nothing else, with a light neon blue glow about the place. There was a low hum from the vents and heavy breathing from the girl ogling the various needles.

_Oh great._

“Uwah.” Tsumiki giggles, giddy and euphoric as she cups her cheeks. “Uwawawawa.”

“You seem to be in a good mood, Tsumiki-san,” Komaeda observed, showcasing the preservation instincts of a stupid, half-suicidal chihuahua.

“Y-Yes!” she gasped. “Yes, yes, yes, yes, _yes_!”

Matsuda moved towards Komaeda quickly, eyeing Tsumiki warily but keeping a straight face.

_While I can trust someone like this to collaborate during a murder investigation where both of us are at risk... She’s still someone to keep an eye on._

Especially since Tsumiki seemed to be getting really worked up.

“Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yesyesyes!”

To the point where her face was turning almost as purple as her hair.

“Deep breaths, you,” Matsuda muttered. “Inhale, exhale.”

She breathed in deeply and wheezed.

“I-I’m sorry, I started hyperventilating.” She swallowed, and she was still panting, hands clasped and fingers tense. “I-It’s just... To be acknowledged...when before I’m used to being either neglected or disdained.”

“Oh, I could never!” Komaeda seemed affronted at the idea. “For menial, wretched, rancid trash like me to even think of treating an Ultimate so cruelly—!”

“N-No, it’s okay,” she stammers and looks near tears. “I-I really am negligible and gross and unsightly and creepy and—”

“That’s untrue! I’m the one who’s base, despicable, repugnant, contemptible—!”

The sleeping pills here were much stronger than the ones at the supermarket.

That was just a thing Matsuda happened to notice.

The painkillers were top-notch, too, for better or worse. There were varied bottles of medicine, some with far bolder labels than what was usually seen on the market. Imported, probably.

Those two were still fucking going at it.

“Sorry, sorry, sorry—”

“Someone like me—”

_Do **both** of them need muzzles?_

“I thought I told you to grab some things,” Matsuda cut in, covering Komaeda’s mouth to silence him. “Did you fucking forget? Hop to it before I carve reminders into your hand.”

“M-Mm!” Komaeda nodded and Matsuda not too gently pushed him off in the necessary direction. “Right, right!”

“Grab some things?” Tsumiki blinks a few times, showing her teeth in dismay. “Why? I-Is Komaeda-san...sick?”

There was a gleam in her gaze that sent very untrustworthy shivers down Matsuda’s spine.

“That’s confidential,” Matsuda said simply, waving his hand. “As in a need to know basis and you don’t need to know. I’ll be handling it. Don’t worry about it.”

“O-Oh. I... I see. Then...” Tsumiki picks at her bandages. “H-He really is sick.”

 “You’re not a nurse but you seem to know your way around,” he remarked coolly. “Well, that’s an Ultimate for you.”

_Of course, I had no delusions that I could get away with lying to someone like this._

“I... I’m pretty knowledgeable I think. N-Not that I’m bragging to someone like you, of course!” She trembled, pulling at her hair. Matsuda grimaced briefly before the expression quickly dropped as Tsumiki rambled on. “I-I... I’m pretty familiar with most injuries...various treatments... B-Because I’ve been hurt...in all sorts of ways.”

“That’s...unfortunate to hear even if it’s convenient for us.” Ever brutally honest, Matsuda shrugged. “Still, it’d be unreasonable to expect so much from someone who’s never been to medical school.”

Tsumiki makes a distressed whine.

“Um, but... B-But... I-I can be...really helpful.” She doesn’t look at him as she insists. “I can administer many kinds of treatments... O-Oh, and shots! Lots of shots!”

“Shots, huh,” Matsuda droned. “So that makes you more licensed than any basic idiot with a first aid kit, at least.”

“Yes!” she exclaimed, flushed. “S-So even if I’m me, you should still...r...rely on me... Especially...if you get into scrapes.”

Now that she was staring at him, her gaze was as intense as it was hopeful. Like a desperate child begging for a playmate. As much as Matsuda would love to relax, he really, really couldn’t.

“Right... If I get a paper cut or into another scrape, I’ll think about letting you know.”

“Aha...” Tsumiki swallows before she laughs into her hand. “Actually... Your bandaging work, Matsuda-san...a-and the confidence you speak with about these things... It’s elegant...and admirable. I-I know I must disgust you, but... I-I really, really do think that, and, um... _Um_...” She trails off, vibrating like glass before it shattered. “I... I... I also...r...re...”

_Ooh, this is dangerous._

“All I really care about is professionalism and competency, nothing else, so...” Matsuda thinks it over for a moment before waving his hand. “Let’s not worry about the other shit.”

_I may be a neurologist, but I would make for a shitty fucking therapist._

“O-Okay.” Tsumiki weakly nods. “Still, um. If you get injured in a place that’s hard to reach...or need any shots... I’m here.” She does smile at that, tittering. “I-I’ll give you all the care and shots that you need, promise. A-And if you need any help with Komaeda-san, then...”

“I just fucking **said** not to worry about that.”

He didn’t even miss a beat. She blinked at him owlishly, eyes growing ever wider. The tension in the air was palpable and Matsuda wasn’t even looking at her.

“Why are you so slow?” he seethed, his attention now elsewhere. “Oi, dumbass, we have other places to _be_.”

“Sorry, sorry!” Komaeda chirped, skipping to him with arms full of medication bottles. “It was a bit tricky but I think I found everything.”

“We can come back later if you haven’t,” Matsuda huffed. “I’ll carry what doesn’t fit in your pockets. Let’s hurry.”

“Right, right, _oh_ , but...” Komaeda smiles past him at her. “Tsumiki-san, don’t let Matsuda-san’s harsh words get to you! While he works on furthering his talent, you work on yours! The others really are blessed to have both of you!”

“Um...” Tsumiki nodded, albeit hesitantly. “Okay. Sure.” Her mind seemed to be elsewhere. “Actually, it would be better, wouldn’t it...to not worry about the things that Matsuda-san worries about...”

“Come _on_ ,” Matsuda urged, grabbing Komaeda’s hood. “You’re so fucking _slow_. I said to **_hurry_**.”

“Sorryyyy, Matsuda-kun!”

“You’re not even being sincere, you prick. Don’t apologize with such an inane fucking smile.”

“Ahahaha, sorry, sorry!”

“Urgh, you don’t listen at all, do you...”

Tsumiki silently watched the two banter on their way out. She busied herself once more with the drugstore inventory, giggling quietly as she did.

Matsuda glanced back briefly but quickly shook his head.

_I have enough on my plate._

* * *

“It’s about lunchtime, don’t you think?”

“We had a late breakfast, didn’t we?”

“What’s your point?”

The next stop was a diner with a spinning tacky sign of a stylized pig next to it. Matsuda could just feel the smell of the grease and he couldn’t deny being a little interested. Although the parking lot was a bit of a strange addition. He hasn’t seen a single automobile since he got here.

_And that’s—a little shady. Shadier than a random-ass diner on nowhere island inhabited by mostly jobless high school students and two shitty mascots._

Still. He’s craving a burger.

_It can’t be worse than hospital food._

Except of all fucking people, Kuzuryuu was already there enjoying a burger with fries. Kuzuryuu was also eyeing a picture with a rather troubled expression.

The interior of the diner was classy and agreeable. But when Kuzuryuu noticed them and glared, snarling at them, Matsuda decidedly felt unwelcome.

“Can’t a guy fucking eat in peace?! Get lost! Just looking at both of you makes me fucking ill!”

Komaeda laughed quietly.

“Kuzuryuu-kun looks murderous,” he says, sounding less disproving of that than he should’ve been. “We probably ought to leave him alone.”

“Oh wow, sometimes you do have good suggestions,” Matsuda replied, eyes slightly wider. “Impressive. Keep up the basic survival instincts, Komaeda Nagito and things might not be the absolute worst.”

“What stupid shit are you yammering on about?” Kuzuryuu grumbled. “Also, what the hell...are you fucking _babysitting_ that freak?”

“Rather curious, aren’t you?” Matsuda asked, turning to him. Kuzuryuu balked, but Matsuda just continued, “You’re not _worried_ , are you?”

“Get fucking real, like I give a damn.” Kuzuryuu snorted, shrugging his shoulders. “If you want to limit your chance of survival by associating with that fucking lunatic, then go right on ahead.”

“Matsuda-kun really shouldn’t concern yourself with me, you’re right,” Komaeda agreed easily. “But Matsuda-kun _is_ rather stubborn and driven.”

“Is he?” Kuzuryuu quirked a brow. “He’s also really fucking stupid, evidently.”

Right now, Matsuda was a little unimpressed.

“Because nothing says intelligent like making toothless threats and acting like a lone wolf pup,” he snarked. “Great. Wow. So enlightened to hear your educated thoughts on the matter.”

Kuzuryuu’s eyes flashed dangerously.

“You want a fucking welt to match the other side of your face?” he growled. “Is that it? Are you fucking suicidal? Is that it?”

“H-Hey now,” Komaeda waves his hands, frowning. “There’s no need for _that_...”

“You’re the one more concerned with maintaining a tough guy image over all else, even when it makes you a liability,” Matsuda pointed out. “How many times do I have to say it? Are you just _dense_?”

“ _Watch_ it.”

“Both Togami and Hanamura ended up getting themselves killed in part because they kept shit to themselves, y’know.”

“ _No_ ,” Kuzuryuu shot back. “It was because those two were fucking stupid enough to concern themselves with other people instead of minding their own damn business. As I said, you’re putting yourself in danger right now by being around that fucking guy.”

“If I left Komaeda Nagito alone, that’d make it real easy for you to kill him.” Matsuda saw Kuzuryuu stiffen, and his cool blue eyes narrowed sharply. “Isn’t it better to keep an eye on him so that doesn’t happen?”

Komaeda hummed as the two glared at each other. Sparking friction in the air with enough heat to cause a sudden fire right there in the diner. Komaeda looked between them, and then, a breeze fluttered through the open window and swept away the picture in Kuzuryuu’s hand.

Kuzuryuu immediately jolted, but Matsuda was quick to catch it before it flew out the door.

“Give that back,” Kuzuryuu hissed, furious beyond words.

Matsuda glanced at it idly. At the image of a golden-haired girl sticking her tongue at the camera with an annoyed Kuzuryuu beside her. He hands it over wordlessly and Kuzuryuu snatches it.

“You have a sister,” Matsuda said, unaffected. “She looks a lot more capable.”

“Not another fucking _word_.” A pause. Stuffing the picture back into his pocket, Kuzuryuu then huffed. “She _is_ more capable. So, I’m not fucking worried about her or anything like that.”

“Huuuuh.”

“Even if I don’t return, the Kuzuryuu family will manage without fail because she can take charge,” Kuzuryuu went on, nose in the air. “That’s fine by me. I don’t need to be relied on—and I don’t need to rely on others, either. I can do fucking whatever on my own.”

Matsuda said nothing and when Kuzuryuu looked at him, his stare darkened.

“Just seeing your fucking snobbish face really does make me sick,” he snapped and then pushed past, elbowing Matsuda sharply as he does. “Never mind all that. I lost my appetite.”

Matsuda grunted a little in pain, rubbing his stomach as he bitterly watched the other stomp off.

“The weight of the yakuza is a heavy one,” Komaeda said, lightly as always. “And pride can be such a precious thing.”

“Coming from _you_ ,” Matsuda retorted. “Doesn’t make it less of a hassle to deal with.”

_That guy—hopefully, reputation alone can keep his ass from getting killed._

His stomach growled, and he noted that Kuzuryuu’s burger was largely unfinished. Well, it was just bad practice to waste food. But also, ew. Fries. He wasn’t in the mood for fries. Too—deep _crispy._

“Oi.” He waved Komaeda over. “You take those. I don’t want them.”

“Oh, thank you!” Komaeda beamed. “I do rather like salty food!”

“Of course you do.”

For now, perhaps the two of them could enjoy the remnants of a meal in some semblance of peace.

But not likely for long.

* * *

“They have sodas here, too. Guess we should grab one while we’re here.”

“A drink would complete this meal, wouldn’t it? Aha.”

“Right. Any preferences? And don’t fucking say ‘I’m fine with whatever’, ‘don’t even concern yourself with my meager needs’, or anything of the sort. Or else. I’ll twist your ears.”

“Scary!”

“Do you have any preferences or not?”

“Mm... Do they have Blue Ram?”

“The anti-energy drink?”

“It calms me down! Right now, I’m way too excited, Matsuda-kun! I could end up having a panic attack! Haha!”

“...”

Matsuda retrieves the soda from the fridge without another word. For himself, he grabbed an actual energy drink. He sets the Blue Ram in front of Komaeda, popping open his own can with a scowl. He poured an energy packet into it and downed it along with some pills.

“Mm...” Komaeda sips almost demurely. “Matsuda-kun, you’re quite the distinct character, aren’t you? Such a standout. The complete opposite of someone like me.”

“You should probably take your pills, too,” Matsuda recalled, standing back up. “I’ll get you a cup of water. Or take them with your soda. Who cares, I don’t.”

He says that but he fills a cup anyway. The temperature is lukewarm and it smells stale in the way only dispenser water could. He places it on the table and sits down. He tosses his can in the trash with a flick of his wrist.

Komaeda smiles amiably, opening one particular pill bottle and taking them with the water.

“Vitamins might not be too bad either,” Matsuda muttered. “But they don’t really help when taken with soda.”

“I’m aware, Matsuda-kun,” Komaeda replied. “I’ve been sick for a while, even if it hasn’t always been to this degree.”

“Yeah. Alright.” _I don’t doubt it. That doesn’t make me less annoyed._ “You know—things are only going to be more difficult for you from here on out.”

“Hmm?”

Komaeda perks up, eyes bright and inquisitive. It really, _really_ annoyed him.

“The others fucking hate you and it’s not just because of what you did and what happened.” _Although those are major factors. I still kind of hate you for what you did and what happened even though I know damn well it wasn’t your fault nor even your intention. For the most part._ “Both Hanamura and Togami sealed their fates by choosing to act a certain way but they’re dead and you’re still here. That makes you the easiest scapegoat.”

Komaeda’s smile just widens. Matsuda growls.

“Of course—you invited their fucking disdain. Because you’re that self-destructive and self-loathing.” For all of the smiles and calm and easygoing laughter, he can still tell that Komaeda is unhappy with their current arrangement. Komaeda’s fingers are tense and sometimes he fidgets. Sometimes the edges of that soft smile were straining. Other times Komaeda seems antsy enough that he’s a hair’s width away from just bolting. Matsuda sighs, shaking his head. “It’s not going to make things simpler on them, you know. It’s a distraction. From the real singular enemy.”

“I certainly don’t mean to distract anyone!” Komaeda chirped. “I want to support everyone in whatever way I could! And, well, if that results in me being hated, that’s alright. It’s more than what I deserve either way. That said...” He trails off, pursing his lips. “A distraction—that really is a problem. I don’t want that. I really should hurry up and get killed.”

Matsuda sighed again, much harder and heavier than before.

“Tough luck there. I’m not going to let you get killed by anyone or anything.”

He has half a mind to whap Komaeda with a book and almost does. But that’d be counterproductive. Hitting Komaeda would be like hitting a dog or a kid. It could have been satisfying, but still completely and utterly unhelpful.

_And even if I did, I would just feel like shit afterward._

Komaeda still laughs. Lightly. Brightly. Innocently. Ignorantly.

“Mind you,” Matsuda cuts in, aggravated. “Shit _was_ already going to be fucking difficult. Everyone on this island is a goddamn yahoo.”

Case in point, there was a scream somewhere outside. Neither of them even flinched.

“Ah. Was that Mioda-san?”

“Punkcore? Probably. Must be practicing.”

“She sounded distressed, Matsuda-kun.”

“That’s just how all heavy metal sounds.”

“Hmm.” Komaeda sips once more at his drink. “I wonder if it is.”

“Finish your damn soda.”

“Mm, kay.”

Matsuda did look at the monitor wedged into the upper ceiling corner of the diner. Tacky fucking yellow clashing with the cosmopolitan.

He gave it a few minutes, listening to Komaeda gulp and then pull back likely because drinking too fast made his throat sting.

Gulp.

Gulp.

 _Gasp_.

Gulp.

Gulp.

“ _Pwah_.”

Nothing from the screen.

_Thank fucking god._

“We really should check on Mioda-san,” Komaeda said once he was finished. “Just to make sure.”

“I guess.” He really didn’t want to. “Mmgh.”

Komaeda giggled.

“Come on, Matsuda-kun.”

“Ugh.”

He still went, leaving the nicely air-conditioned sanctity of the diner.

* * *

There was a billboard that read Chandler Beach and a tunnel that supposedly lead to it. From that tunnel limped someone haggard and bloodied but radiating a wicked energy.

Owari Akane, grinning like a maniac and ironically dropping that smile the second she saw Komaeda.

“ _Urgh_ , who the hell invited you?”

“We were all trapped on this island against our will,” Matsuda said, unimpressed. “Did you forget that part? Wouldn’t surprise me if you did.”

Owari scoffed.

“You seem rather roughened up,” Komaeda observed, unaffected by her darkened glare. “Nidai-kun, perhaps?”

“H’d ya know...? Yeah, yeah.” She nodded all the same. “It was him. Kicked my ass real good, yeah. Damn near knocked me out.”

“Doubt he knocked any _sense_ into you,” Matsuda muttered. “Lemme guess—you started it.”

“I lost real bad this time, but next time...!” Owari chuckled to herself again, cracking her knuckles. “I’ll win for sure. Until then.” She pointed at Komaeda. “Stay the hell out of my way. Just looking at your mug puts me in a bad mood.”

“Ehe, understood.”

She hardly seemed happy with that response even as she did perk up.

“Oh, yeah. Also Katsu?”

Matsuda quirked an eyebrow.

“If ya wanted to get into a scrape, ya should’ve asked me!” she exclaimed. “I would’ve been more than happy! But you definitely would’ve gone down in one punch. Still.”

_That’s the most innocuous way someone has told me they wanted to hit me._

“Tsumiki’s back at the pharmacy, y’know building right? It’s after you pass the diner. She’ll be happy to treat your injuries,” he said, waving his hand. “Get going. The salt in the air’s going to make them sting.”

Owari grumbled.

“...not gonna give up...won’t ever give up...”

With that, she pushed her way on through, pumping her fists and nearly falling over. Matsuda watched her go coolly before indicating to Komaeda that they needed to keep walking. The two of them crossed the tunnel and it wasn’t too long until they reached the beach.

Mioda was still fluttering about Nidai, eyes wide as he rubbed his hand. Nidai looked considerably exhausted compared to Mioda bouncing about. And then he immediately tensed as Mioda yelped.

“KYAAAAAA! It’s Yasuke-chan and crazy Nagito-chan!!”

“Hello to you as well, Mioda-san,” Komaeda greeted. “And Nidai-kun.”

“He’s GREETING me?! Like a normal person?!?!”

“Oi, oi, you’re the one fucking screaming like a nutcase,” Matsuda griped. “And without even saying hi. That’s just fucking rude.”

“Oof! Yasuke-chan’s sharp enough to go stabby-stabby!” Mioda did give Komaeda a quick and uneasy glance before looking back at Matsuda, eyes wide and pleading. “While that could increase compatibility, mmgh...”

_What is she talking about now?_

Nidai was very pointedly not looking at either of them. Komaeda kept on smiling like an idiot. Matsuda grumbled, scratching his scalp.

“I’ll be keeping a look on Komaeda Nagito from now on. You haven’t heard?” He shrugs as Mioda’s jaw dropped. “Well. Now you know.”

“Yasuke-chan with his piercing words and eyes has agreed to tame a beast! Ooh!” Clasping her hands, her eyes glittered with stars. “That’s so cool! The perfect protégée to our dearly beloved, departed Byakuya-chan!”

 _That_ did get Matsuda stiffening.

“...it’s nothing like that.” He almost didn’t hear himself. “It’s not...anything like that.”

_While I do care that Togami died to protect this guy, my motives aren’t that inspired. And I’m nothing like him. I’m not someone who’s going to put on a self-assured act because I have nothing else going for me. I’m not going to make grandiose promises I can’t fucking keep to people I barely fucking know. While I definitely need to control these idiots, I’m not cut out to be a leader._

That just wasn’t his character. Someone like him rallying the others? Even if it was under false pretenses, even if he _could_ bullshit his way to victory—there’s just no way he’d bother.

“Awww, so tsun!” Mioda cooed. “Kyaaaa! You might fill in Byakuya-chan’s shoes after all! Yasuke-chan does already have pretty big feet actually.”

And that was one good step on his last nerve.

“Get the hell away from me.”

“Okay!” She saluted. “I’ll leave you to brood! Tame the beast! You’ve got the power and the potential! Just like Akane-chan!”

Finger-gunning, Mioda ran off at that, leaving them all in incredibly awkward and heavy silence. Save for Komaeda, smiling and waving back.

Save for that.

_She’s about as deluded as he is. Funny._

Weirdly, the one that was reasonably skeptical was—

“The fact that you were quiet that entire time was so fucking weird.” Nidai almost jumped at being addressed. He was still pointedly looking away as Matsuda’s glare narrowed. “What? No screaming encouragements or any blaring commentary at all? How uplifting.”

“That’s unsightly for the Ultimate Coach!” Komaeda exclaimed. “Nidai-kun, are you quite alright?”

Gritting his teeth, Nidai did meet Matsuda’s gaze for what it was worth.

“So, you really were serious, huh, Matsuda? And you’re _sure_?”

“That’s such a stupid question,” he snapped. “Just how _hard_ did that bimbo hit you?”

“Ku... Pff.” Nidai rumbled low but somehow still booming laughter. “Owari may not have the technique, but she sure as HELL has the spirit!”

“And you doubt both my technique _and_ spirit?” Matsuda asked scathingly.

Nidai grimaced but it broke into a grin after not too long.

“You KNOW _WHAT_?! That’s a _GOOD POINT_!!” He straightened up, rubbing his forehead with a laugh. “If _you_ say you’re sure, you’re definitely sure! That’s the kind of guy you are!”

Matsuda only scoffed.

“I have to say, seeing you exhibit drive and seeing Owari exhibit potential really is all a guy needs to make it through!” Nidai went right back to laughing raucously as he usually did. “It’s SOMETHING ELSE! Gets the adrenaline PUMPING!”

“... _right_...”

“How exciting!” Komaeda chirped.

“That doesn’t mean I won’t keep an EYE on you,” Nidai hissed, turning to him with nothing short of unbridled fury. “I’ll trust Matsuda but _you_? Not ONE bit.”

Komaeda kept on smiling.

“Trust between Ultimates is such a beautiful thing. With such wonderful conviction and confidence, there’s no way despair will triumph!”

Nidai gritted his teeth, but that expression relaxed a bit when Matsuda pinched Komaeda’s cheek.

“A-Ah, Matsuda- _kuuuun_!”

“Don’t make shit so fucking weird. When someone looks at you like that, you should keep your trap _shut_.”

“Aah...!”

Nidai swallows, rubbing at his nape before shaking his head. He flexes and squeezes his hand.

“Souda should be at the beach house. Hinata’s probably with him. If you’re going to keep investigating and haven’t been there yet... Well.”

“Hinata- _kun_ —ow!?”

“Got it,” Matsuda replied, still tugging on Komaeda’s cheek, making him whine further. “Thanks for solid advice for once.” He paused. “Maybe go ice that hand of yours at the diner or something.”

“Gyahaha! Considered!” Nidai does grin again, even if the edges are still a little stiff. “But _I’m_ not the one with his hands full.”

Matsuda snorted, finally letting go so that Komaeda could rub his now reddened cheek.

“Guess not.”

* * *

The beach house was likely to be their final stop on this island. Last but not least. Hopefully.

As soon as he opened the door, he ran smack into Hinata and the two went tumbling down. They were off to a great fucking start.

“A-Ack! Matsuda?!”

“Oof.” He manages to push himself up and off of the other. “Who the hell doesn’t notice when someone else is opening the door?”

“Matsuda-kun, Hinata-kun,” Komaeda said, worriedly offering his hand. “Are you two alright?”

Hinata immediately went rigid, and someone yelped. Matsuda glared at Souda but took Komaeda’s hand without a second thought.

“What are you two idiots gaping at? It’s not like we’re doing anything weird by getting our own look around so there’s no reason for those dead fish faces,” he grumbled, letting himself get pulled back to his feet. “Especially from you. You already fucking knew the situation. My cheek still hurts a little by the way.”

“S-Shut up! Just why did you even...! Ugh!” Souda crossed his arms, fuming. “You’re ruining the atmosphere!”

“What’s he talking about? Is this why he didn’t show up to breakfast?” Hinata asked, swallowing. “Oi, Souda, did you seriously _hit_ him—?”

“S-So what if I did?! He asked for it! And he fucking deserved it—sticking up for that fucking psycho over there!”

“I definitely deserve being hit for my attitude but in that situation, you were the one being a fucking _idiot_ ,” Matsuda shot back. “Let’s not mince words here.”

“S-Shut uuuup! Seriously why did you have to come here _now_?!”

“Q-Quit arguing, both of you,” Hinata managed. “I don’t know what’s going on but whatever it is—”

“Ah. Hinata-kun.”

Just like that, Hinata’s throat ran dry.

“Do you also need help up?” Komaeda asks him worriedly. When Hinata finally looks at him, it’s as if all color drains from his face and Komaeda’s frown deepens. “Hinata-kun?”

Hinata scrambles to his feet, recoiling as he did. Matsuda stops, as does Souda.

“L—Let’s just go.” Hinata’s shaking voice rose just a little. “I don’t want to be here anymore either.”

Hinata shoves his way past Komaeda, not looking at either of them. Souda hurriedly chases his lead.

“Y-Yeah! Let’s go!”

Souda slams the door shut behind him...and that was that.

That was that. Things were quiet in the beach house now, sunlight filtering through the windows, dark shadows cast, and Matsuda scratches his bandaged cheek.

“Oh.” Komaeda exhales. “Hinata-kun really does hate me.”

“The first cut is the deepest,” Matsuda muttered, rubbing at his nape. “It can’t be helped.”

He gets a look around the interior now that there aren’t any distractions. There’s not much to look at. Nor much going on.

There were shelves stocking drinks, including water and canned coffee—but also a bunch of nasty shit that the diner mercifully lacked. A trashcan. Riveting. A bench. He kind of dug that even if the placement of it between the drinks and storage closet wasn’t the greatest. The chair and table wicker set by the window was a lot more convenient.

Whatever.

There also was a shower room. A _broken_ shower room.

_So, aside from the drinks that are inferior to the diner’s selection and getting out of the sun...this place is pretty much worthless._

“I guess the only plus this place has is its location by the beach,” Matsuda muttered. “Shame because it actually looks pretty nice. I like pattern on the wall and the potted plants, but I can’t say I’m the biggest fan of there being another chandelier...seriously what’s up with that...”

He trails off after a while, noting that Komaeda seems pretty disinterested and—maybe even a little distracted.

“Yeah, there’s really nothing else here.” Matsuda snapped his fingers and Komaeda jolted, wide-eyed but attentive. “So, uh...what now? Any ideas?”

“The others have likely finished investigating by now,” Komaeda said, lips quirking seemingly without a care. As if he hadn’t cared about anything at all. “But if that’s really everything, well... There’s not much left for us to do on our own, is there?”

Matsuda shrugged.

“Guess not.”

_The idea of dealing with all of them in one place is a headache. I can barely handle them in increments. Seriously, that Togami willingly took on that duty...even if it was self-serving in addition to altruistic..._

Thinking about that wasn’t doing him any favors either.

“...”

Komaeda’s expression hadn’t changed. He was still smiling blankly.

“You know you actually did a pretty shitty idea of looking around,” Matsuda huffed. “Are you just expecting me to do all the work? Really?”

“No, of course not.” Komaeda shook his head. “I’ll look around some more, then! I really don’t mind!”

With an easygoing face and a bounce in his step, Matsuda didn’t doubt it.

“I’m going to look around outside on the beach,” he said. “Don’t leave this spot until I come back, got it?”

“Understood!”

He really didn’t doubt it.

_Urgh._

* * *

_Just what am I going for, again?_

The fresh air outside provided no answers. The rolling waves and blinding sun were similarly unhelpful. Matsuda really fucking doubted that anything out here would tell him what he needed to know.

He almost wanted to do something childish and impulsive. Like scream or throw something into the ocean. Something stupid and worthless. Something that proved he really was at the end of his rope already.

But the thing was—he knew he could handle it. That things could get much fucking worse and he would just deal with it. That no matter how much he didn’t want to or how much he hated it—he would manage.

Somehow, that was _really_ what angered him. Just the knowledge that this was something he prepared to deal with. Something like this—an utterly thankless and chaotic situation with no obvious end in sight.

_I’ll tolerate all of it...and to what end?_

Probably spite, he couldn’t help but sardonically think. It’s what got him this far.

...

...

...

_Wasn’t it?_

“Mmmm. Matsuda-kun.”

Just as things were blurring together, that drone snapped everything back into aggravating focus. Cursing lowly, Matsuda glanced over his shoulder.

Nanami stood there, hands gripping the straps of her backpack, expression as dull as ever.

“Finished investigating, huh?” he asked, unmoved. “So, does this mean I can get a look at the ruins now?”

“I found something,” she said. “Let’s all look at it together. I already called everyone else...except Komaeda-kun.”

“He’s doing one last sweep of the beach house,” Matsuda replied. “I’ll get him later. Don’t worry about it.”

“Don’t worry, you say... Okay.” She nods. “I guess I won’t, then.”

She says that—but there’s an odd shadow cast over her gaze. It’s strange. And off-putting. For that among other things, Matsuda just scowled.

“You can go now. We’ll catch up.”

“Mmmm.” Nanami does not leave. Instead, she pops her lips. “You seem to be upset with me, Matsuda-kun.”

He twitches. Just a little. “Is that what you really think?”

“Yeah.” She doesn’t even miss a beat, even as her stare is bleary. “I guess I do.”

 _You guess._ He bristles, but huffs, running his fingers through his hair. His eyes sweep down and then back up. _Her demeanor really doesn’t give anything away. It’s creepy._

Finally, he just sighs.

_I’m not so childish as to hold a grudge over someone giving me a hard time, especially during a high-stress situation. However, someone like this—the fact that I just can’t tell what she’s thinking or feeling is aggravating._

 “...mmgh.”

_Because of how that guy was, even if she hadn’t said anything, what he did would’ve come to light sooner or later. Be it him constantly drawing attention to himself—or Hanamura hurriedly throwing it out as a last-ditch effort to dodge suspicion. I can’t blame her too much. Maybe she was aware of that, too—or maybe she fucking wasn’t._

**_The fact that I just can’t be sure is what really annoys me._ **

Still.

 _Still_.

“What about you?” he just goes out on a limb and asks directly. “Are you upset?”

She just stares at him.

“It could be about anything,” he explained, irritated. “Like, the trial?”

“The trial,” she says, in a tone that was nothing. Not inquiring, not even probing.

“...” _This is looking like a hopeless endeavor._ “You could tell that I was covering for Komaeda Nagito. You didn’t seem to approve.”

_Even though you yourself said you didn’t think he was the culprit._

“Obscuring information isn’t right,” she said simply. “In trials, we need to seek the truth.”

“Yeah... That’s not actually true.” Matsuda shook his head. “Our priority in those trials is to survive, which isn’t exactly exclusive with having to know everything. Maybe that’d be the case if this were a shitty video game, but it’s not. Thus, if it keeps us off-track even the slightest bit, we don’t need to pay any attention to it.”

Her frown deepened. It was as good a reaction as any.

“That’s how it works in _real_ trials too, y’know,” he went on. “Both prosecutors and attorneys only care about building the best possible case for themselves regardless of the actual situation. Truth, reality, who’s really to blame, if it doesn’t feed into the case, it gets downplayed, ignored, or obscured. The truth doesn’t matter; self-interest does. Such is the case here, too. If the ‘truth’ gets the others confused, disoriented, and even risks total derailment, then is it worth _shit_? I don’t think so.”

Nanami hums. Her grip on her backpack straps tightens.

“That’s a cold way of looking at things.”

“It’s better than just charging forward recklessly with the flow of information,” Matsuda pointed out. “If Monokuma _had_ listened to those hysterical idiots crying to cast the vote early, wouldn’t that have been the worst-case scenario?”

“That didn’t happen, though,” she said without batting an eyelash. “Matsuda-kun and Tsumiki-san lead us to the actual truth, and Komaeda-kun couldn’t do anything to lead us astray anymore. Shouldn’t we consider that a win?”

_A win. A **win**. Seriously? When someone still had to **die**?_

“Christ, you’re really detached from reality, aren’t you?” he asked, groaning and rubbing at his temple. “Just talking to you gives me a migraine. Do you really not get what I’m saying?”

“Matsuda-kun, I think you’re misunderstanding me.”

“You think?” he repeated. “Are you _sure_?”

_If that’s the case then give me something to work with. Something. **Anything**._

Her expression did change. Her lips pursed. Her cheeks puffed.

And then, she fucking said, “I think you really should play along better with others, Matsuda-kun. We’re a class. We should work together. Right?”

_Seriously? Did she steal that from the fucking rabbit? Of all things?_

“I’m just trying to keep everyone alive,” he said sharply. “If you know that, then shouldn’t _you_ work with me?”

“It’s not just about surviving,” she replied. “It’s about getting along, too.”

“Yeah?” He wanted to laugh. “Right, then. Run that by the others in regards to the deranged dandelion puff. Let’s see how far it fucking goes.”

“Komaeda-kun is a separate matter,” she said.

“Right. _Right_.”

She gives him a meaningful look, which annoyed him. Despite that.

 _Despite_ that.

“Look,” he said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Just this morning, I got into a fight because of two idiots who thought it’d be a great fucking idea to tie that demented troublemaker of a classmate up and leave him for dead. If that’s the kind of camaraderie you’re vouching for, then forgive me for being less than interested.”

_I can’t be sure, but all the same..._

“I’ll keep the others alive to the best of my ability,” he huffed, looking off towards nothing in particular where only blue was in sight. “From now on, you can just leave everything on _that_ front to me. Anything else—I don’t care.”

“You _would_ say that, huh,” Nanami droned. “How ironic.”

**_Huh?_ **

“What was that?” He turned back to her; his brow furrowed.

“I didn’t say anything.”

It’s an obvious lie. But the way her eyes bore into him makes him recoil anyway.

_Just what the hell?_

“Oi, seriously?”

“Seriously,” she replied, unflappable. “Anyway. Um. We should discuss this later. Everyone else is going to be waiting at the ruins. So, you have to come, too.”

Matsuda growled, but, _honestly_?

“Fine. Sure. We’ll catch up.”

As agitated as he is, he sure as hell isn’t in a mood to just leave shit be.

“Let’s grab Komaeda-kun, then,” she said.

“Sure. Fine.”

_Let’s hear what she’s actually fucking willing to talk about._


	12. Mixed Bags, Crossed Signs, A Hint of Delirium

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You don't fucking know for sure. Keep looking deeper, even if it risks pulling you under.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Way more of all the characters talking at each other again. We're having a great time. I'm having a great time. Writing fifteen characters conversing all at once is hell. If your favorite isn't talking enough, I'm sincerely sorry. I'm doing the best I can as a mere bean. But I do like this chapter. It has kind of a rhythm to it. I was also able to actually squeeze in some dumb references. See if you can find them because I'm totally still willing to reward you if you do. There's still not enough referential humor for this to be True Peak Ronpa, but like it's already too gay for that.
> 
> Shout-out to Grammarly for shaming me on how much I overuse the word really. I'll try to avoid that in the future. Maybe. Please comment and validate me because we both know Grammarly won't. I only got an 85 on this and that was definitely because I kept tricking the program.

Unfortunately, when they got to the ruins, there was something else going on.

“It was uncouth of you to lie about such an incident!”

“I-I didn’t mean to lie, Sonia-san... I-I’m sorry!”

“In a situation like this, isn’t it better to be upfront when you boys get into fights?! What was it that you disagreed about anyway?!”

“Whatever it was... Matsuda was pretty pissed about it.”

“U-Urghhh.”

“It was about how to deal with Komaeda. Souda and I had thought to...”

“H- _Hey_! Shut up! They don’t need to know about _that_ part!”

“What part?”

“I-It’s not important!”

“Not _important_? Reeeeeeally? Then why are you sweating so much over it, creep?”

“The perspiration upon thy brow does seem to tell a weightier tale than the fragile words tumbling from the cretin’s trembling lips.”

“B-Because I’m being yelled at over nothing...!”

“You had reacted violently. That is _not_ nothing, Souda-san.”

“S-Sonia-san, I swear! I... I didn’t...”

“Oi, oi.” Matsuda snapped his fingers a few times as they walked up. “What the hell is all this?”

“It’s a fucking ruckus is what it is,” Kuzuryuu griped. “If this is what I got fucking badgered for, someone’s going to fucking die.”

“Oh, no,” Nanami yawned. “It’s not about that. Although arguing like this isn’t good, I think.”

Souda sniffled, pulling down his beanie as if that would consume him and spare him the shame.

“I-I’m the victim here... I swear...”

“The matter’s been settled,” Nidai rumbled. “Right, Matsuda?”

“Yeah, it has.” Matsuda could still see Koizumi giving Souda a stern look, not to mention Saionji snickering at him for sulking. But Sonia perked up as he waved. “I get that everyone’s fucking wound up, but there are more important things.”

“It’s no good to be distracted by trifles of the past,” Komaeda said. Saionji gagged. She wasn’t the only one to be unhappy with him talking with Hinata even blatantly avoiding having to look at him. Admirably, he still went on cheerfully. “Matsuda-kun and Souda-kun’s disagreement was about quite the insignificant matter after all!”

“You were somehow involved,” Pekoyama murmured, eyes narrowing. “Which is not surprising. However, if all involved parties agree that it is no longer worth concern, we should move on.”

“Like to what Chiaki-chan found!” Mioda chirped. “Could it be an escape rooooute?!”

“Um.” Nanami thought it over. “I don’t...think so. It could be. Maybe. But I don’t know.”

“Wow, that’s so fucking helpful,” Matsuda deadpanned. “Great fucking job, space cadet.”

“You don’t _need_ to be like that,” Hinata grumbled. “I guess you’re still in a bad mood. Then again you’re _always_ in a bad mood.”

He glances at Komaeda briefly but before Komaeda can blink, he hurriedly looks away again.

“E-Even if it’s not an escape route,” Hinata adds, stammering now. “It could still help us figure out the deal with this island.”

_I guess there’s that._

The others were pretty curious about the ruins, some of them chattering amongst themselves. Koizumi and Sonia were both pondering the shape of it, Saionji and Souda were more interested in asinine shit such as bathing and swimming, and Tanaka was laughing about anguish.

Now that he had the opportunity, Matsuda pushed forward to get a better look at it.

_It’s shaped like Hope’s Peak—but more than that, there’s something—_

“Something about the building,” Nanami murmurs. “It’s almost unnatural. Dissonant. Like adapting a mystery novel into a side-scroller. Like that.”

“What an interesting comparison, Nanami-san,” Komaeda replied. “Although Hinata-kun still seems confused.”

Matsuda didn’t hear how Hinata responded to that, but by this point, he wasn’t paying attention. He was face to face with a strange door.

**_Huh?_ **

Big and dusted over so most details were masked, with rotted vines dangling over the sides, even with all that—the shape and design of the door clashed with that of the ruins.

“What is it, Matsuda?” Koizumi asked. “Is that how we get inside?”

“This is not my field, but... I don’t think ruins typically have entryways like this,” Matsuda replied, squinting at it. “With all the dirt and vegetation though, it’s pretty fucking hard to tell what’s up.”

“There is something rather strange about it,” Komaeda agreed. “But it’s just so dusty.”

“If we clean it off, it’ll be more obvious why it’s abnormal,” Nanami said. “At least, I think so.”

“Then why the hell not?” Souda muttered. “What have we got to lose?”

“Let us clean to the most whole!” Sonia exclaimed. Mioda cheers with her. Weirdly, Tanaka’s hamsters also seem enthusiastic about the idea.

“Yeah...” Hinata nods along. “Sure.”

With several hands working on it, it wasn’t long until they uncovered the door completely, wiping away all the grime and pulling out the wilted plants.

What they were left with was a huge metallic door with gleaming blue lights among other contraptions and components.

“That looks more sci-fi than ancient,” Komaeda observed as Matsuda ran his hand over the lettering. “That’s quite unnatural. Literally.”

“Something like that shouldn’t even belong in ruins!” Hinata exclaimed. “What the hell?!”

“W-What does it read?” Tsumiki asks. “That—there’s an inscription on the door. U-Um, is it...?”

“Future.” Matsuda’s brow furrowed. “It looks like it says future. But—it also looks like an insignia.”

“Who even cares about that?!” Kuzuryuu barked. “Is there any way to get inside?!”

Matsuda did see the LCD panel—and he also saw the gun.

“It needs some kind of keycode.” He peers closer, wary of the weapon. “It uses numbers. I can’t even tell how many digits it’s supposed to be. Oi, mechanic guy, can’t you crack it?”

“I’m not a hacker!” Souda yelled. “And quit asking me to do weird shit!”

“It’s not weird, you’re just useless,” Saionji said. “Why do we keep you around again?”

“S-Shut up.”

“If it’s a keycode then all we need to do is guess,” Komaeda chirped. “But that’s not terribly exciting, is it?”

“We could get the jackpot that way,” Kuzuryuu said, but he paused. “Except—is that a fucking gun?”

“I-Is it?!” Mioda gasped sharply. “Whoa, it’s a super cool gun though! Too cool!”

“If that is indeed the case, it means there may be defensive measures in place for those that try to trespass,” Pekoyama said. “In other words, if the wrong code or even the wrong person enters it—the firearm could go off.”

“That is true,” Komaeda agreed. “Even if you have the correct code, if it asks for voice or facial recognition, you’d still be toast!”

“Which means you, in particular, should stay the hell away from it,” Matsuda snapped. “Even if you guessed right, there’s no guarantee you won’t still get shot at.”

“Too bad, I would’ve liked to see that,” Saionji snickered.

“If someone got shot the bits the first thing I’d do is smear their blood on your kimono,” Matsuda replied, making her shriek.

“G-GROSS! The fact that you’d even joke about that is seriously fucking sick!”

“You really shouldn’t joke like that!” Koizumi scolded.

“Puh, puh.”

_...but with all that said..._

Matsuda bites the inside of his cheek in thought.

_This place—there really is something about it. Future. The hotel was also named after the future. Is it connected or a coincidence? I have a weird feeling._

“It is peculiar,” Nanami said. “But it also feels—pretty significant. Like, important.”

“But what’s so important about it?” Hinata wondered.

There was a bounce. And Matsuda didn’t even have to look to know who arrived.

“Um... Mm...”

“Um... _Hm_...”

Both Monomi and Monokuma stood there, staring up at the door to the ruins with unreadable expressions.

“Is there nothing for you two to say?” Pekoyama asks as Owari smacks her fist into her palm.

“It’s obvious both of ya know _something_! Hurry up and tell us!”

“N-No.” Monomi was agitated and anxious, not looking at any of them. “S-Sensei doesn’t know a thing. N-Not a thing...”

“Monokuma doesn’t know either.” Monokuma sniffed, turning away. “Nooooo idea.”

“Y-You should focus on other things,” Monomi stammered. “Like strengthening your hopeful bonds...”

“SERIOUSLY?!” Souda yelled. “Like hell we should and like hell you don’t!”

“There was an awful lot of dust,” Saionji remarked. “Were either of you behind that?”

“W-Was it purposeful?” Tsumiki wondered. “I guess...that would make sense...”

“Heeeeey, what fucking gave trash like you the idea that you should comment?” Saionji whirled on her with a cold glare. “Do you need to be put in your place? If not, say sorry!”

“S-Sorry!” she yelped, whimpering. “I-I’m sorry!”

“I can’t _heeeeear_ you!”

“S-SORRRYYYYYY!”

“Hiyoko-chan, she’s sorry,” Koizumi sighs. “Cut her a break.”

Saionji harrumphed as Tsumiki whined into her hands.

“It could be a shelter for the other residents,” Nidai suggested. “That would explain the heavy artillery and defenses.”

“If that’s the case, isn’t it more dangerous for us?” Koizumi asked worriedly.

 _Thing is, there’s no one else on the island according to Monomi._ Matsuda cupped his chin in thought. _But something like this—maybe it could lead to the outside world somehow? It’s not impossible. There could be some means of escape._

“Upupupupu.” Monokuma giggled. “The possibilities are endless, aren’t they? But it’s pretty much impossible to confirm any of them. That door’s a bit too thicky. It’s quite sticky for me. Not just physically, upupupu! You’d have to be a real stiffy to counter it!”

“The hell does that even mean?” Owari asked, unimpressed.

“Well, y’see,” Monokuma said. “Neither I or Monomi can squeeze through that door.”

“W-Wait, you too?!” Monomi gasped. “S-So, then...!”

Monokuma silenced her with a harsh wallop to the face. She hit the ground with a cry and was left quietly sobbing.

“With the little sister silenced, allow me to continue. Ahem.” Monokuma coughed a couple of times before belting out loud, uproarious laughter. “Even me and Monomi have no idea what’s beyond that door! Maybe a god mod could, but we’re merely mascots. It truly is Jabberwock’s biggest myteryyyyy! Try your hardest to solve it, bastards! I have nothing but the highest most unhealthy expectations!”

_So, neither of them know._

“Isn’t there already someone who knows?” Kuzuryuu asks, smirking. “Someone this rat already told us about?”

“...rat?”

“You mean about some traitor?” Saionji asks, humming. “That’s what the raccoon said, right?”

“Raccoon?” Monokuma faltered. “H-Hey, while miscalls are cruel, that’s not going to be enough to effectively bully me.”

“Is that so, kitty cat?” Mioda asks.

“U-Upoo...boohoo!”

“Wah, he’s upset!”

“Anyway, if there’s someone who knows anything, it’s gotta be the traitor!” Kuzuryuu asserted. “Like how to open this door—how to escape...”

“Maybe they could lead us to whoever’s behind those two,” Koizumi suggested.

“B-But...” Tsumiki swallows. “Is there...really a traitor?”

“There HAS to be!” Kuzuryuu yelled. “So come the fuck out, you goddamn coward!”

Matsuda rolled his eyes at that.

“T-There’s no traitor!” Monomi cut in desperately. “I-I swear Monokuma just said that to trick all of you— _ow_!”

Monokuma kicked her harshly.

“It’s reeeeeally cruel to slander your blood, you know.”

“Why don’t you just tell us who it is?” Kuzuryuu asked. “How about that, ya rat?”

This time, Monokuma giggled.

“Is there something humorous you wish to share?” Tanaka asked warily.

“It’s just, _upupupu_ —I wanted to know. You bastards ever heard of The World Destroyers?”

Matsuda perked.

“World Destroyers?” Komaeda echoed.

“Don’t change the fucking subject!” Kuzuryuu exclaimed heatedly. “We’re asking the fucking questions here!”

“Well, I get why you’re so embarrassed, pffft.” Monokuma snorts and keeps on giggling. “I mean, _World_ _Destroyers_? Seriously? That’s lower than even toddler levels of creativity! But it does exist and there’s nothing you can do about it!”

“So what is it?” Pekoyama asks. “And does that name entail, exactly?”

“It’s self-explanatory,” Monokuma said simply. “The World Destroyers are the ones who destroyed the world. Easy as that.”

“D-Destroyed?!” Tsumiki gasped sharply in horror. Komaeda just blinked.

“It’s not an exaggeration, by the way, it’s super literal,” Monokuma chirped. “So like, the title, as cheesy as it is...is also pretty suitable, yeah? Sometimes simplicity is key.”

“So are they akin to terrorists?” Pekoyama asked as Sonia swallowed a hard lump.

“Terrorists is something you’d reserve for villains, right?” Monokuma’s head tilted. “If someone’s not a villain but a hero—would you still call them a terrorist? I really wanna know! This is deeeeeep stuff!”

“You’re not making any sense!” Koizumi exclaimed. “Just what do you mean?! Are they the ones behind this situation?!”

“Are either Monomi or Monokuma a part of them?” Nidai pondered. “Or—their creators?”

“That’s a question for another time,” Monokuma said. “All I can clarify is that both the planting of the traitor and the setup for bringing you bastards to this island—both are the fault of the World Destroyers, not me!”

_Not **your** fault, huh?_

“WHAT THE HELL’S THAT ABOUT?!” Souda screeched. “What the HELL did we do to deserve that?!?!”

“He can’t possibly be telling the truth!” Pekoyama hissed. “Both this and the nonsense about missing memories—this is pure absurdity and nothing more!”

“The time for attentiveness towards jests is not yet nigh,” Tanaka hmphed. “That shall wait until the end is present.”

Monokuma flinched.

“A-All that...? And all I get is being invalidated! That’s harsh!” He growled. “Keep that up and every part of my body will be inflamed! You don’t get it?!”

“I-I don’t want to,” Hinata answered, making him screech.

“It’s TRUE! It’s beary much the truth! The World Destroyers are the true mastermind! More to that—one of them invaded your group!” Monokuma’s voice rose the more heated he got. “That why! You gotta! _Kill_ them! Before it’s too late!”

“Oh.” Komaeda exhaled. “So you want them dead.”

“S-Stop that!” Monomi cried. “Don’t listen to a word that fiend says!”

Monokuma yanked her by the ears, snarling as she squirmed.

“Name-calling and undermining are grounds for harsh punishments!”

“Y-You’re going to pull them off! Stop!”

Monokuma dragged her off before anyone else could say another word. Just leaving it at that. With confusion and consternation so thick in the air it was suffocating.

It was likely intentional, considering everything else.

_Another mess to deal with._

“D-Did anyone understand any of that?” Souda asked, teeth gritted. “I-I didn’t.”

“I did not, either,” Sonia replied forlornly. “Not truly.”

“It’s getting late,” Nanami said before yawning. “Let’s not overthink this.”

“It was quite a bit,” Komaeda chirped. “Best to rest up for now.”

“Are _you_ really saying that?” Saionji asked before perking up. “Actually... Matsuda-nii, you didn’t say much of anything during that spiel! You feeling well?”

“O-Oh, you aren’t sick, are you?” Tsumiki asks. “I-If you are...”

“No,” Matsuda snapped quickly. “I’m fine. I just thought it’d be better to let the ball roll no matter how much stupid it crashed through.”

“So even _you_ were fucking confused by all that, brainiac?” Kuzuryuu scoffed. “Fucking figures.”

“Monokuma says much to manipulate us,” Pekoyama said. “It is best to not consider his words too strongly.”

“But it’s not much good to completely discard everything.” Komaeda smiled. “Right?”

Sonia hesitated as Owari groaned.

“Why the _hell_ are you still allowed to talk when you’re just as bad? Shut up before I hit ya.”

“Indeed, you are just as prone to discord and disorientation, fortuitous one,” Tanaka huffed. “Thus, you have no sphere in which you are permitted to speak.”

“And you’re much better when your dialogue is _that_?” Matsuda retorted. “Just fucking say basic shit like ‘you have no room to talk’. Who the fuck uses the word ‘sphere’ like that?”

“Is that another challenge, sharp-tongued boor?”

“Cut it _out_ ,” Koizumi griped, irritated. “It’s going to get dark soon so we really would be better off retiring for the day.”

“Indeed,” Sonia laughed sadly. “I do feel that would be better for our health. So, let us disperse. I wish you all a good night.”

“Yeah,” Nanami agreed. “Night, night.”

There wasn’t much else to say, with many of them trading uncertain looks if not outright avoiding meeting any stares. Hinata in particular while his eyes met Matsuda’s briefly, it flickered away just as quickly as Komaeda drew close. There wasn’t any chatter as the group separated, with even Komaeda rather silent.

Most of the information learned that day only made the situation more muddled and frustrating.

Somehow, Matsuda isn’t even surprised. That doesn’t make him less annoyed. He’s just—unsurprised.

“Goodnight, Matsuda-kun.”

The calm way Komaeda wished him well after being dropped off at his cottage was also annoying. And Matsuda had so much more of that in addition to the frustrating mysteries to look forward to.

Fan-fucking-tastic.

_There are other concerns to deal with, too. Such as the other people on this island._

Great. Just great.

He was going to go to bed early, but as fate would have it, his sleep that night just wasn’t the best.

* * *

_Thing is, I already knew shit was going to be needlessly convoluted. Monomi’s too tight-lipped for her own good and Monokuma will twist whatever information he has to his advantage so much so that the truth is near unrecognizable. Neither of them are to be trusted. But—it’s not like I can’t work with this._

If he thought about this logically—whatever Monokuma wanted them to know and whatever Monomi didn’t want to know... Either way, shit was bad and dire for all of them.

_Think of it like a flipped chessboard. Why does it benefit Monokuma to say all that? Well, the answer to that is obvious. He wants us to be more driven to kill. Monomi is the real sticky point. Why is this such a problem for her? What’s her motive? What’s her goal? Is it really everyone getting along? No, it feels like there’s more to it. Much more._

Matsuda bit his lip, flipping through his manga. He was still groggy, but Ruriko’s hijinks were at least moderately calming. Although Michiko looked about as done with all this as he still felt.

_Monomi said someone on the outside was trying to save us. But she was unable to say much. If she shows up again without Monokuma, I need to see what else I can get out of her. And if not that—there could be more clues on the islands that are still closed off._

He set aside the manga to head to the bathroom. Once there, he ended up removing his bandage and there’s a bit of a yellowing bruise. It’s not much. Hell, it healed a lot faster than he expected. Funny, that.

“None of this is going to matter if I can’t keep the group from tearing each other’s throats out,” he muttered to his reflection in the mirror. “Of course, that also means I can’t fucking antagonize the others all the damn time, huh.”

 _“Shouldn’t that be obvious?”_ He can practically see the disapproving scowl on his face as Togami scolded him. _“You really are too sharp for your own good, Matsuda Yasuke.”_

Matsuda groaned, running his fingers over his eye-bags. Still dark. Still pronounced. They’d only get heavier the longer he was stuck.

_I wonder if I could cover them up. Look like less of a wreck. Didn’t **s̸̨̺̬̦̟͊̃͐̀̐̕h̷̨̺̖̙͗͋̈ȩ̵̹͕̱̟͓̑̂̔̒̅̂͠** used to say—_

“Ow, ow, _ow_! **_Fuck_**!” His head felt like it was twisting itself into knots and Matsuda very nearly banged it against the sink. “Jesus Christ, fucking seriously?! _Now_?!

He nearly tore off his pill bottle, cursing before throwing caution to the wind and starting his morning off using the heavy shit. If he passed out later as a result, well... _Well_.

_Should I shackle Komaeda Nagito to me before that? Ha. Ha. God. Maybe._

He smacked his cheeks a few times to snap himself out of it. With time, the ache dulled and faded. Once it did, it was replaced with—confusion.

“When did I...?” He touches his uncovered bruise, brow furrowed. He blinks once. Twice. He sees the pills bottles and his eyes go wide. “Are these...messing with my memories?”

* * *

The morning announcement hadn’t gone off yet, so there was no one else outside as Matsuda pondered on his porch, staring down at his pill bottle as he did.

_Considering the delicacy of the brain and the stress of the situation, memory loss and forgetfulness are pretty likely to happen, especially when used in conjunction with shady fucking medication._

He reads the labels over a few more times, however, and scowls.

 _It could be because of this...but it also could just be a vitamin deficiency. It could be hypothyroidism. It could be stress. Depression. Anxiety._ He touches his scalp briefly before just running his aggravated fingers through his hair. _It could even be the result of past head trauma. Maybe the remnant effects of whatever drug or method was used to remove our memories in the first place. Without the means of getting a proper brain scan and being unable to do any tests in general, I can’t know for sure._

He clicks his tongue and the back of his head smacks against his door as he groans at the sky.

_The chronic headaches may be more of a problem than I thought. Shit. If I get compromised, I might as well just throw my ass into the ocean._

Of course, he’s being facetious. Like hell he’s in any position to just give up and die like a little bitch.

_There might be a hospital on one of the islands. If I can just stick it out until I have the means of getting there—I can manage. I survived primary, medical school, residency, and a fucking murder trial full of dumbass teenagers that was run by a sadistic stuffed bear._

“...”

_Truth be told, my worst fear right now is turning out like her. If that disease of hers was genetic—what am I going to do?_

If that were the case—it was already over. There was no point. His future would be _gone_.

**_What could I even do?_ **

Ba-dump.

Ba- _dump_.

Matsuda pockets the pill bottle for now. His arms cross tightly. There’s a light breeze, the sun shines merrily as ever, and the setting remains that of an idyllic island amid eternal summer. It’s not long before he hears the cheery morning announcement in Monokuma’s saccharine tones, and he grips his sleeve, squeezing.

“Alright. That’s enough sulking. If it’s that big of a deal, I can get a damn stress ball.”

He gets to his feet, smoothing out the creases in his pants and coat sleeves. He adjusts his tie. He should look semi-presentable which by his usual standards was downright pristine. He ends up yawning anyway.

His classmates are already shuffling out with one exception. Huffing, Matsuda strides forward. He’s not in the mood for striking any conversations—and quite frankly, most of his male classmates shared that sentiment at least. The only other potential exception, Nidai, was speeding towards the hotel, so he wasn’t a concern.

However, one guy did pause, and Matsuda paused too when he saw that Hinata Hajime was staring at him.

Frowning and without breaking eye contact, Matsuda raps his knuckles on Komaeda’s door.

“Coming!”

Hinata froze up like a deer in headlights. The sound of the door opening allowed his flight instinct to kick in, and Hinata sped off as Komaeda stuck his head through, cheerful as ever.

“Good morning, Matsuda-kun! So are we going to breakfast with everyone else?”

“Yeah,” Matsuda answered, still looking off in the distance. “Seems like it, huh. Though can I ask a question first?”

“Hmm?” Komaeda’s head tilts. “What is it?”

“Earlier, wasn’t there a time when I suddenly lost track of what was happening? As if my head blanked?”

“Yes, why?” Komaeda frowns as Matsuda’s face pinches up. “Matsuda-kun, do you think you’re ill?”

Matsuda just shakes his head.

“Enough about that. Let’s go.”

“Mm. Okay.”

* * *

They’re the last ones to arrive and—well this seemed familiar.

“—so anyone figured anything out, yet?”

“It’s only been one night, y’know.”

“It was difficult to sleep on, as well.”

“I-I still don’t know what to believe about any of it.”

“Good _morning_ to all of you, too,” Matsuda said loudly. “Geez, y’all are a bunch of impatient fucks, aren’t ya? Can’t be bothered to wait for the stragglers. I see how it is. See if I’m considerate of your slow attention spans and limited brain spaces ever again.”

“Morning!” Nidai just greeted.

“Morning, I guess,” Nanami echoed.

“Do you have to start with _that_?” Koizumi asked, haggard. “You just got here.”

“B-Besides! We were discussing _important_ stuff!” Souda exclaimed huffily. “ _You’re_ the fucking know-it-all, right? Maybe you can be the one to tell us something about the World Destroyers, traitors, all that jazz.”

“Haaaah? How am I supposed to know anything? What were you _expecting_? That I’d get a prophetic dream where some dragon goddess explains the plot to me?” Matsuda shrugged. “I’m just as bewildered as everyone else. I’m a genius, not a seer.”

“Still it’s a good thing to ponder early on!” Komaeda chirped. “Good on Souda-kun for being proactive!”

Souda blanched.

“So even Yasuke-chan’s stumped, huuuuh,” Mioda whined. “And I even screamed until my head spun for answers! No luck at all! Everything just ended up black instead! Until it was suddenly morning!”

_In other words, she passed out. Thank god we didn’t hear all that._

“I had searched the abyss for which the luminosity continued to elude me,” Tanaka said. “And this morning, all I sensed were the lingering souls of affectation and constituent. Perhaps the earthlings shall grant them the invocation of passage.”

_Oh. Well, then._

There was a wave of melancholy—and a fresh bit of glaring done at Komaeda.

“This food isn’t as good,” Owari muttered darkly as she chewed. “Even if it’s still good.”

“That’s good to hear,” Komaeda replied and she ignored him purposefully.

“Right,” Matsuda said, unsurprised but still unhappy. “Aside from prayers, candles, and lanterns, there’s not much we can do there. I’m keeping the troublemaker under close watch. Please don’t make this more difficult on me then it needs to be.”

“So it’s true,” Hinata muttered lowly. “You really agreed to...something like that.”

Komaeda beams but sweet merciful heaven, he didn’t have anything to add. Miracles did happen.

“...still.”

Unfortunately, the state remained tumultuous.

“If there is a traitor,” Souda said, pointing a trembling finger. “Isn’t _Komaeda_ the likeliest culprit? Can we trust him to be out and about at all?”

“An insignificant nobody like me isn’t the traitor,” Komaeda replied. “But, that’s not the most substantiated argument, is it?”

“It only makes you more suspicious, yeah,” Saionji answered. “But, truth be told, that you’re that creepily upfront makes me wonder.”

**_Fucking seriously?_ **

“Seriously?” Kuzuryuu rolled his eyes. “Just how fucking inane can you be? Komaeda’s a crazy fucker, but he’d make a shitty traitor. Way too obvious. You’re just cornering him because he’s an easy target.”

At hearing the words that he wanted to say from someone else, Matsuda just blinked.

_...huh._

“B-But doesn’t it make the most sense?!” Souda stammered. “And even if it doesn’t—that guy is seriously dangerous!”

“But that’s why Yasuke-chan is watching him, right?” Mioda asked. “So if he _is_ the traitor, then—we got nothing to worry about! Oh wow, that’s an _ultra_ -relief!”

“We don’t have any proof it’s him or even that there’s a traitor in the first place other than Monokuma’s word and we all know how reliable _that_ is,” Koizumi pointed out. “Regardless, just throwing out accusations isn’t productive.”

“B-But even if it’s Monokuma,” Tsumiki murmured. “I-Isn’t it better to consider worst-case scenario?”

“Worst case scenario...” Komaeda pondered. “Well, I do agree with Koizumi-san. But I also have to wonder—is traitor-san really an evil force?”

The atmosphere shifted, more intense and denser than before. For both better and worse.

“There’s a theory,” Matsuda said, clicking his tongue. “Considering it’s Monokuma, he could very well be misrepresenting others’ intentions. Wouldn’t it be more convenient for him if we were sidetracked by what _appeared_ to be the larger foe?”

“It is true that it would be to Monokuma’s advantage for us to believe anything he says,” Pekoyama agreed with a stiff nod. “Thus, we should question any and every bit of information he provides.”

“I do understand,” Sonia said, hesitating. “However, I do not feel— _right_ in simply leaving it at that.”

“R-Right?!” Souda swallowed. “What he said—I don’t _feel_ like all of it was just made up!”

“Mm, well.” Komaeda hums. “There is a saying. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. You know?”

“Oh, yes.” Sonia nodded, to Souda’s horror. “What a complicated saying, but it is one with value.”

“S-Sonia-san, what are you saying?!”

“What I’m saying is that in regards to this supposed traitor, Monokuma seemed pretty impassioned about wanting them dead,” Komaeda said cheerily. “Perhaps, then, they are an unsung hero of sorts? A prevailer of _hope_?”

“Shut up! Shut up forever!” Souda snapped. “If you’re really the traitor then you sure as fucking hell aren’t our friend!”

“I’m not the traitor, but I _am_ suggesting...”

“It would be advantageous of the traitor to talk up the traitor,” Saionji said. “Whichever it is, you really should keep your trap shut. It’s not like anyone wants to hear you talk.”

Komaeda, still smiling, does close his mouth. His eyes shut and his head ducks. Even with that easygoing expression, he looked like a meek fucking dog.

“That’s better,” Owari said, words muffled through her food. “It’s way easier to eat now.”

_You weren’t having any trouble before. In fact, it was fine. It was goddamn fine._

“Oi.” There’s no getting around it. He’s a little fucking pissed right now. “Do you idiots actually have _any_ fucking room to say shit like that?”

“Hmm?” Saionji smiled childishly as Souda got defensive. “Whatever are you so upset about, Matsuda-nii? Don’t tell us you’re sticking up for _that_ creep?”

S-Seriously,” Souda growled. “Do you even _remember_ what he did?”

“You mean trying to get himself killed?” Matsuda rolled his eyes. “Yeah, it was pretty reckless, wasn’t it? Fucking aggravating to deal with, too. Not helped by the dumbass’s broken filter. A real pain in the ass.” He glared. “However, he’s suggesting something that could ease our fears a little if considered. It’s better than just being an unpleasant bitch and picking at every little comment. It’s better than being a paranoid shitbag accusing others recklessly and fretting so fucking much that everyone just gets more anxious.”

“B-But, he’s...!”

“He’s got a fucking _point_ , unlike you jerks,” Matsuda cut Souda off harshly and coldly. “And regardless. The situation is still that we _don’t_ know anything. In times of uncertainty, it’s healthier for the mind to be at least a little fucking optimistic. And I know that’s difficult if you’re stupidly wrapped up in your own bullshit—but you could still afford to try rather than snap at everyone like a rabid dog.”

Souda trembled, flustered.

“That... T-That’s just not fair!” he burst out. “Just because you’re smarter than most of us...!”

“You are still talking about _him_ , y’know!” Owari shot back angrily.

“E-Everyone, please,” Sonia spoke up quickly. “Perhaps we should consider Matsuda-san’s words!”

“Wh—WHY?!” Souda wailed. “He’s a complete fucking asshole, Sonia-san! Don’t you see that?!”

“While Matsuda’s abrasive and aggrandizing, I... I would rather not have to suspect anyone more than I already do...” Koizumi trailed off, grimacing. “Isn’t it bad enough that we’re in a killing game? That two of us died already?”

“N-Nagito-chan’s a major creep, but... Byakuya-chan wouldn’t want this...” Mioda whines, agitated. “A-And this whole traitor-chan stuff gives off all kind of bad vibrations!”

“Togami had said before that there likely is NO TRAITOR!!!” Nidai boomed. “Isn’t _THAT_ what we should believe?! Monokuma is just trying to _TRICK US_!!”

“I-I don’t know!” Tsumiki sobbed into her hands. “I-I just don’t know...what to think!”

“Then just don’t think, if it’s that fucking difficult.”

Tsumiki flinches, uncovering her face meekly. Everyone else is eying him warily. Well, most of them. Komaeda only looks curious. There’s an odd gleam in his gaze, and Matsuda just shakes his head.

“If it’s so fucking disorienting, then let’s just not even think about it. We barely have any information, and what information we do have is hardly credible in the first place.” He waves his hand, grimacing. “Until we have a more solid grasp that this _is_ something we should worry about... Why not just put it on the back burner for now? Everyone being in an uproar over this—it only benefits Monokuma, y’know.”

“S-So what?” Souda stammered. “We’re just supposed to do _nothing_?!”

“I’m saying we wait until we have more to work with because working ourselves into a goddamn tizzy over shit,” Matsuda hissed. “As things stand now, there’s no way we’ll come to any satisfactory answer. Because we don’t fucking _know_ anything. Think. Has the situation _really_ changed from before?”

“The situation...” Hinata trails off. “Um.”

“We’re still in the midst of a killing game. We’re already _in_ a situation where we suspect each other’s intentions. And Monokuma wants us to lose ourselves, he _wants_ us to fucking snap and lash out and dwindle our numbers further.” Matsuda’s head tilts. “Anyone disagree with what I’m saying?”

Souda trembled, Hinata hesitated, Sonia’s frown deepens, Koizumi gets more agitated, and overall, there was an uncertain silence, however...

“No,” Nanami said. “Matsuda-kun hasn’t said anything wrong.”

“While the fog of ambiguity remains settled on the horizon, those core elements remain,” Tanaka said lowly. “Thus, the sharp-tongued one’s assessments are undisputed.”

“So when I say we should wait until we try and make any judgment calls, you get where I’m coming from, yeah?” Matsuda asked, cocking an eyebrow. “We’re under enough stress as it is. So until we have a solid reason to worry about it, until the situation’s _significantly_ changed in a way we can all agree on, let’s retain focus on the baseline.”

“You’ve said something like this before. And I still agree that it would be for the best,” Sonia said finally. “As troubling as Monokuma’s words are—we have already lost two classmates.”

“Not thinking about it is fine by me,” Owari agreed. “This crap is too complicated to keep up with, anyway.”

“M-Maybe...it would be better,” Tsumiki whispered. “I-I... I don’t like thinking about it anyway. E-Even if... Uu...”

Souda falters, grimacing and scratching at the back of his head.

“Urgh... I-It’s really unfair.”

“So that was a waste of fucking time, then,” Saionji huffed. “Geez. I could’ve used my time so much better.”

“But it’s nice to have settled things,” Koizumi said. “Seriously though, Matsuda, you’re a smart guy—if you just changed your attitude...”

“Aaaaand there goes my patience.” Matsuda hmphed, turning away. “I think I’ve reached my threshold of idiocy I can tolerate this morning. I’m going to grab breakfast to go.” A pause and he gestures towards Komaeda. “Oi. That means you, too. Like hell I’m leaving you here. Those idiots will just tie you up.”

“Y-You _said_ you’d watch him so you better not!” Souda yelped.

“Don’t get into _another_ argument,” Koizumi snapped. “Let’s just try and relax a little! Think about the future!”

“D-Do we even have one?” Tsumiki asked, to Koizumi’s dismay.

“D-Don’t _think_ so negatively like that, Mikan-chan!”

“S-Sorry! Sorry! I shouldn’t have said anything, I’m so sorry!”

Kuzuryuu sighed.

“It really is pathetic, seeing all this snapping and simpering,” he huffed. “Is this really how it works? One snide comment and you’re all at each other’s throats? All that fucking babble about amity and working together—it was just a fucking _load_.”

“It is just difficult,” Pekoyama said. “There is no need to further antagonize.”

“What the hell ever. Brainiac’s right about how exhausting this shit is. I’ve had it, too.”

Kuzuryuu stomps out as Matsuda gathers up food. Komaeda looks after him, eyes wide where Matsuda’s own narrow.

“So difficult,” he mutters, biting into an apple before shrugging it off. “Can’t be helped, I guess.”

* * *

Komaeda doesn’t bring much to eat. Just some toast and a milk carton. Matsuda has half a mind to badger him about it, but he just lets it be for now when Komaeda’s nibbling so quietly.

“Y’know,” he mutters, finishing up his juice and moving onto the rest of his fruit. “You can talk now.”

“Oh, can I?” Komaeda asks, eyes wide.

“Yeah,” he sighs. “You weren’t even saying anything bad back there. Sure, I think it’s fucking asinine to assume the traitor is a good guy based on Monokuma wanting them dead, but... Whatever.”

“You think it’s asinine, Matsuda-kun?”

Urgh. He was probing. He wasn’t even being coy about it with how expectantly he looked at him.

“If the traitor is allied with Monomi, then they’re complacent in our memories getting erased,” Matsuda said simply. “Considering how shit I think Monomi is for pulling that, I definitely can’t say I think highly of this traitor either—if they exist. But...”

_...the thing is. There could very well someone here that we should be wary of. Komaeda knows this. Thankfully, he did keep that to himself. Should I be grateful?_

Matsuda was silent, eyes dark as he tore a chunk from his apple with his teeth.

_Monomi said that Monokuma was sneaked in somehow. That’s—far more concerning than any of the shit Monokuma said about World Destroyers and traitors. It could have been done so from the outside—but I can’t just discard the possibility that someone here did that._

And he really, really fucking doubted that person and the supposed traitor were one and the same. He had a strong feeling that wasn’t the case.

“I’m not worried,” Komaeda says suddenly. “I’m absolutely not worried. Everyone here is a symbol of hope. Regardless of what Monokuma says to confuse, you all will triumph, all the same. There’s a beautiful hope on the inevitable horizon!”

“If you choke on your milk because you got worked up, I’m going to be pissed,” Matsuda muttered darkly. “Deep breaths, asshole. Eat your damn crumbs.”

“Aha...! Hahahahaha!”

He laughed until he started coughing, to which Matsuda smacked his back a couple of times before coldly offered his bottle of water.

Komaeda does drink, and Matsuda rubs his temple as he does.

_Difficult._

And yet, it wasn’t the worst. Compared to before where all ~~remaining~~ fifteen of them were in a room—this was nothing, honestly.

Funny how that worked. He wonders just how deep it went.

The ocean waves tumble over each other. The beach is spread out before them. Matsuda is a little dissatisfied with the food that he’s inhaled half of. He finishes up the apple but there’s still more. He had thoughtlessly picked up some sprouts and rice and he’s not sure what he was thinking at the time.

Komaeda finishes the water with a pwah, wiping off his mouth with his sleeve. He still has half a piece of toast left. Matsuda’s half-tempted to shove it down his throat. Instead, he thoughtlessly flicks away some crumbs caught in Komaeda’s hair. Komaeda stiffens, and there’s fluid dripping down his chin.

“Gross.” Matsuda scowls in disgust, nearly slapping Komaeda in the face with a napkin. “Here. Use this.”

“Right...” Komaeda does take and use it for its intended purpose. “Mm, mm.”

_You really are a bit of a mess, aren’t you?_

Matsuda sees his shoulders tense, and rather annoyingly, Komaeda was pretty blatantly avoiding his piercing stare. Matsuda frowns before he huffs, turning away and respecting those wishes.

_It’s difficult—on all of us, probably._

It was more so now with two people dead.

“Uh... H-Hey.”

Komaeda reacted first, head raising and Matsuda’s gaze only slid over lazily.

“Yo,” he droned, eyes sweeping up and down.

Hinata stood there, shoulders tense and expression complicated. With how his arms hung and how his hands fidgeted, all with that altogether agitated posture—it was pretty clear he was about a hair away from either collapsing or bolting.

As per usual.

Except for this time, where the normally useless idiot had actually mustered up the guts to speak.

“Hinata-kun!” Komaeda exclaimed, in a lilt that could have completely stomped those guts to the ground and send Hinata several hundred steps back. Or at least far, far away.

Thankfully, Hinata still remained where he was, even as his knees buckled a little.

“I...” Hinata swallowed, brow pinching and grimace twisting. “I wanted to talk to Matsuda, not you. I don’t want anything to do with you.”

“Oh.” Komaeda only falters for a second. “Understandable! Matsuda-kun, I’ll wait here then.”

“We can’t go too far, it has to be somewhere I can still see him,” Matsuda said dully. “I can’t exactly trust this dumbass to not get distracted by a bug or something.”

“Aww!” Komaeda laughs it off as he does with everything. “Harsh!”

Hinata’s face almost contorts further. He shakes his head quickly before just nodding.

“Yeah... That’s understandable. It won’t be long, anyway. I just...wanted to ask you stuff.”

_Stuff, huh? Sounds pretty serious._

“Sure. Alright. But it also has to be somewhere shaded, too.” Matsuda pinches at his fringe. “Thankfully there are a lot of palm trees for use.”

“Uh.” Hinata didn’t seem sure of how to respond to that. “Yeah. Uh. That one over there could work.”

He gestured at one that was particularly droopy and sad-looking. Matsuda decided not to comment because he didn’t want to feel sorrier for him.

“In the meantime, you try and eat the rest of my food,” he said, shoving it towards Komaeda. “I don’t have much more of an appetite. So you deal with it.”

“E-Eh?” Komaeda frowned, dismayed. “I’m not hungry either, Matsuda-kun.”

“Tough fucking luck. If you don’t at least attempt I’ll have to force-feed you. Alright.” He stands, stretching his arms and popping his neck. “Let’s get going, pinhead.”

“You don’t have to call me that,” Hinata muttered but he does relax a little as Matsuda follows his lead. He tensed right back up when he glanced at Komaeda, forlornly picking at rice and sprouts before sighing and popping a small portion into his mouth.

Hinata now looks more disturbed than before, so Matsuda snaps his fingers to get his attention. Hinata flinched and soon sighed.

“I bet you already know what this is about, huh.”

“I can make an educated guess,” was his only reply.

* * *

With the two of them under the sad palm tree and Komaeda nothing more than a puff of wild cotton in the distance, Hinata comes out with it.

“So you really agreed to just—just _watch_ him?”

“Obviously. It took you this fucking long to realize that?”

“N-No, no, I heard before, but...” Wetting his lips, Hinata tried to meet his glare levelly. “I couldn’t believe it. I didn’t think anyone would just—agree to that.”

“Yeah, no one else would be that charitable. True.” _If I wasn’t here, Komaeda would just be tied up and left for dead in the fucking lodge._ “Aren’t you so grateful that I’m here, then?”

“I...shouldn’t answer that.” Hinata coughs into his hand. “I... I just...”

“Was that all you wanted to ask?” Matsuda made a face. “You can’t be _that_ dumb, right?”

“No, that’s wrong!” Hinata yelped. “There were other things!”

“Yeaaaah?”

“ _Yeah_!”

“Then out with it.” Matsuda pulled out his book, flipping through it idly. “I’m a very busy man.”

“Are you serious—?”

“Patience level dropping to zero in three, two...”

“Are you really serious about Komaeda?!”

A pause. Matsuda blinked a few times. Hinata’s face was all red, but he seemed all shades of anxious. Twitchy.

Matsuda regards him coolly.

“Why _wouldn’t_ I be?”

“B-Because! Because...” Hinata falters, trembling a bit before pushing forward. “Aren’t you _worried_? Or even _scared_?”

“Of what?” Matsuda’s frown deepened. “That idiot attacking me?”

“...” Hinata bit his lip, averting his gaze.

_Bingo._

Matsuda could only sigh, shutting his book.

“I’ve sized Komaeda Nagito up pretty well. Enough to know I could easily overpower him if need be. Even if he came at me with a weapon, I’ve gotten the training to disarm him and if he thrashes, it wouldn’t be that difficult to incapacitate him.” He slips his manga back into his pocket for now. “Just a jab in the right bundle of nerves or even a few seconds without air, if I had to go that far, would be fine.”

“Oh.” Hinata exhaled sharply. “I-I see. I guess there’s uh, nothing to worry about after all.” Hinata rubs at his nape, but he still hesitates. “You’ve thought this through.”

_As if I **wouldn’t**?_

Matsuda’s lips parted, but he thought against his impulse response and instead mulled matters over.

_Even if I just tell him not to worry—well, it’s obvious that won’t work. Hinata Hajime pdoesn’t **want** to concern himself with this shit in the first place._

For obvious reasons.

_...even so..._

“You think I’m unused to the situation of someone being unstable and dangerous? In my line of work?” He runs his fingers through his hair, remembering the various instances. “When people can’t think properly, they tend to act dangerously. You always have to be prepared for that, even when they’re in your care. But the thing is... When someone is like that, they’re always more in danger of seriously hurting themselves than they are of hurting you. _Always_. Every time. Without fail.”

He takes a deep breath, keeping his voice low.

“Even if you have to defend yourself, you must never allow yourself to get so conceited as to forget that you’re not the one suffering most in that very moment.”

Hinata jolted at that, and he opened his mouth as if to argue.

“That’s my experience,” Matsuda snapped. “So obviously that’s how I think. If you have a well-thought-out problem with it, I would _love_ to hear it.”

Hinata’s mouth shut, even as he gritted his teeth, shoulders tensing. He then shook his head.

“No. I don’t understand this well enough to make a decent counter.” His frown deepens. “But... I _do_ want to know if you at least felt betrayed or even angry when you found out the truth.”

_The truth? As in what he did or his very behavior? Either way._

“I wasn’t going to put that kind of trust in someone I just met,” Matsuda said flatly. “Especially not in that kind of situation.”

“...yeah. I guess that’s...” Hinata exhaled, sucking in his lips as he only looked more distressed. “That’s obvious, huh... Someone like you wouldn’t...”

“I was a little pissed, I guess,” Matsuda went on, rolling his eyes back. “Definitely annoyed. Aggravated like hell when that dumbass was deliberately drawing attention to himself in the trial. That was frustrating as fuck, not going to lie. So much bullshit to sort through, made worse by the uproar those other idiots got into.”

Hinata flinched.

“When you figured out...that Komaeda was trying to murder someone... What did you think?”

“That if that were the case, he probably had a reason to. And I was going to chew his ass out later.” _Of course, the truth was more complicated. And more troubling. I’m not in the mood to talk to Hinata about that, but..._ “His inability to be reasoned with definitely complicates matters a little, but...”

_...but..._

“He’s now someone I can’t disregard. Not just because he’s dangerous, but because...” _Of a lot of things. His condition, my obligation, the whole situation, Togami dying to protect him, and just the fact that._ “I have no interest in sitting on my ass, ignoring if not outright avoiding a problem and naively thinking I won’t have to deal with it if I do. That’s not just idiotic, it’s fucking incompetent. And there’s nothing I hate more than _incompetence_.”

Hinata blinked at him a few times. Then, Matsuda noticed his eyes gaze past him, at Komaeda still waiting patiently for them to finish. Matsuda glanced, too, and saw that Komaeda, hopefully having finished his fucking food, was busying himself with drawing in the dirt with a stick he found. Komaeda noticed their staring and he waved at them cheerfully.

Hinata winced. He made the most pitiful, twisted up face before he just heaved a sigh.

“Even if I did approach him, I have no idea how I’d even go about trying to understand him. But you’re right, huh? He’s too dangerous to just...disregard.”

“Mercifully, you don’t even have to worry about it,” Matsuda said. “I’ll be the one handling him from now on.”

Hinata strangely didn’t look all that reassured.

“...if you say so...”

“Yes, that is what I said. Should I repeat it?”

Hinata shook his head.

“That’s about all I wanted to talk about,” he grumbled. “There’s nothing more to add, save for, well, good luck. I guess.”

Matsuda snorted.

“Wow. Thanks.”

“Just try and get along better with the others,” Hinata snapped. “Souda whined about you a lot. Even if I agree that you’re terrible, I’m not exactly in the mood to hear about it.”

“So you’re friends with the mechanic guy now, huh?” Matsuda quirked an eyebrow. “So, like, is he a rebound, or...?”

“I-It’s nothing like that!” Flustered, Hinata steamed. “I’m going now!”

“Don’t need to get so bitchy about it, there’s nothing unmanly about heartbreak, y’know...”

“Shut up! Goodbye!”

Hinata stomped off, Matsuda watching him go with a dull expression.

_He really does get worked up so—so easily._

And yet, Hinata did pause, looking back one last time before sprinting away. That could mean all sorts of things but Matsuda wasn’t keen on looking into it. If there was a problem, it was Hinata’s to deal with.

_At least I would hope that’s the case. I have enough to worry about already._

He trudges back to Komaeda, regarding him neutrally as Komaeda greeted him cheerfully.

Komaeda didn’t inquire anything about that conversation. Either he maintained some level of tact or he just didn’t want to know. While he was obligated to this idiot, this was not in his area of expertise. Just not talking about anything was fine. Not even thinking would be better.

_Too bad there’s too much going on. How nice it would be...to just relax a little._

As Matsuda stared outward at the island sunlight fragmented through the palm trees, imagining a world where he was just expected to bask and lie there, stretched out and at ease... It was such a ridiculous fantasy that he snorted.

 _Yeah_. That was just impossible from the start. Hell, he was already tired of the sun on its own merits, with how he perspired and sweltered in its heat.

“Do you want to go to the library? Or do you mind me just retiring to the cottage?” he asked Komaeda. “I need at least somewhere with air conditioning.”

“Whichever you prefer, Matsuda-kun,” Komaeda replied sunnily.

Fan-fucking-tastic.


	13. (Never Give In) To The Call of Yesterday's Twilight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If it's a bad feeling, there's no way I can just ignore it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's probably going to be two bonus scenes after this one for, uh, reasons. In this section, we're finally introduced to the Twilight Syndrome arcade machine. What a great character. You'll have to wait a while before we see what the game's about, though. -w-+
> 
> I think this chapter is a bit on the short side, which I do apologize for. I hope you do enjoy it anyway.
> 
> Also, yes the chapter title is a shameless rip-off of a particular song I really love. No, I'm not going to feel any actual shame for it. This is just what happens when I'm left to my own indulgences.
> 
> Speaking of indulgences, two things I really love are men who can cook and ribbons. Why is that important? Why, indeed.

_“Emergency, **emergency**!”_

It was late at night and he has woken from an unpleasant dream thanks to the even more unpleasant blare of a siren.

_“Get your asses to Jabberwock Park, NOW! This is not a drill! I repeat: this is **NOT** a drill!”_

Matsuda covered his face with the pillow, halfway close to just smothering himself on the spot as it did little to muffle the noise.

_“The first one here will be treated to special homemade curry rice! So please, hurry!”_

“It’s way too _late_ for that you piece of shit—!”

_“HURRY UUUUUUUUUP!”_

Matsuda groaned loudly, contemplated drowning himself in the pool, and rolled out of the bed. He hit the ground with a low thud. Untangling himself from the sheets was even more of a chore.

But.

He managed.

_Can’t have one easy night of sleep, but it was already ruined early on. Maybe I should have one of the beefcakes on this island knock me into a coma. Surely mechanic guy can make an alarm clock strong enough to wake me up afterward._

He shouldn’t put his faith in others like that. Instead, he should just get his shit together.

“Urgh.”

_Alright. Let’s just hope there’s not a torture machine or something._

* * *

“Truth be told, it’s been a while since I’ve had curry rice. I’m curious to see what Monokuma cooks up!”

“Even if there is rice, that rabid meathead is going to eat all of it.”

Komaeda laughs far too brightly for the hour. Matsuda misses his shitty cottage bed all the more. Grumbling, he rubs the sleep from his eyes and yawns inelegantly.

Jabberwock Park, of course, is bustling when they get there.

“First one here!” Owari bellowed, as predicted. “Now where’s that rice?!”

“What kind will it be?” Sonia wondered cheerily. “I am most curious!”

“What’s the term for when you start feeling real hungry at hearing the words ‘curry rice’?!” Mioda gasped. “Does anyone know?!”

“That’s just having an appetite,” Matsuda griped, stomping his feet as Komaeda skipped without a care. “The real question is why the _hell_ you fuckers are so perky when we were wakened so rudely.”

“Rudely?! Do you really think that of Lil ol’ me? Boohoo!”

Monokuma laid draped over an arcade machine, blowing dramatically into a tissue.

“Hic! And here I was sharing something _special_!”

“What the hell is _that_?” Kuzuryuu growled. “Is this some kind of fucking joke?”

“You better not have been joking about the food!” Owari exclaimed. “I was the first one! I have a right to it! You already took the meat from me!”

“Hmm? Oh, yeah.” Monokuma slid off the machine, landing on his front paws before pushing himself back into the air to land upright. He seemed to expect applause, and when he didn’t get any, he pouted. “I’ll treat you bastards tomorrow evening, as promised. I’m a bear of my word after all.”

“Are you?” Folding his arms, Matsuda bristled. “We’re still _lacking_ the memories you promised.”

“Impatient, are you?!” Monokuma huffed. “You really ought to show more respect to your elders! Ah, well, I guess you don’t know my age. And it’s rude to ask a bear his age.” He snickered. “But! When I say tomorrow evening, I mean tomorrow evening! One fresh plate of Monokuma Curry! Made with mystery meat, mystery rice, and mysteriously half-dead vegetables!”

“Then it’s not exactly fresh,” Koizumi murmured.

“Bad curry’s hard to make!” Mioda exclaimed. “It’ll be fine!”

“Words of wisdom indeed,” Tanaka rumbled. “However this is nothing more than squandered time. Explain your true reasoning for bringing us here at such a dire hour—and if you bore me, the Devas of Destruction shall feast upon bear.”

_It’s a stuffed bear, you fucking idiot. Besides—_

“That should be obvious,” Matsuda griped as Monokuma lit up.

“Yep, yep! Suuuuper blatant! Guess your All-Seeing Eye _seems_ a little busted!”

Tanaka growled, but Matsuda turned his attention more properly to the arcade machine. He wasn’t the only one. Nanami was stepping closer, eyes sparkling and fingers twitching. Without missing a beat, Matsuda reached out and yanked her back by the hood.

“Oh, careful!” Komaeda chirped. “You really should be gentler with girls, Matsuda-kun! Although... Hm. That arcade... Is it really...?”

Matsuda yanked him back by the hood too.

“Do either of you have any sense of caution?” he snapped. “If it’s a device made by that tacky mascot, it’s not to be trifled with.”

“Tacky?! Boohoo!” Monokuma still twirled around, gesturing to the machine with a flourish. “This magical piece of technology is to be the start of you bastards’ recreational activities! With its library consisting of quite the _treasure_ of a game! A personal masterpiece, if I do say so myself!”

“If _you_ made it, it’s definitely not safe,” Hinata remarked.

“With all due respect, please pardon our lack of enthusiasm,” Sonia said.

“You really don’t see!” Monokuma exclaimed. “It’s a sequel! A long-awaited sequel!”

“Wow, you want us to play a sequel to who the fuck cares?” Saionji asked. “If it’s an arcade, then it’s just a lame beat ‘em right? If I wanted to do that, I’d just find more ants and crabs.”

“Maybe you should play the game instead, it’ll be healthier,” Matsuda said. “Besides, maybe it’s Tetris or Pacman. Although it doesn’t look it.”

“It’s _Twilight Syndrome_ , you uncultured swine!” Monokuma screeched. “Full title:  _Twilight Syndrome Murder Mystery_!”

“Wow, it requires _thought_?” Saionji mused. “I guess that’s impressive, lame-o title aside.”

“It’s an adventure game series, first published in 1996,” Nanami rattled off. “The story revolves around a group of high school girls investigating various urban legends at their school... There were several sequels...”

“The first one is really good, actually,” Komaeda said. “It might as well be a time capsule from how it perfectly captures the youth and language of the era. I recommend it, Matsuda-kun!”

“Ew, both of you are nerds.” He released them, huffing. “Either way, it’s not exactly difficult to ruin a good series with a crap sequel and I don’t exactly trust Monokuma with maintaining any acceptable level of quality.”

“T-That’s beary shocking to hear, Matsuda-kun!” Monokuma yelped.

“As if there’s any joy to get from such a leisure activity!” Nidai snorted. “Not to mention such a fossil!”

“Hey, it’s not _that_ old!” Monokuma yelled. “And it’s more than leisure! Making a video game is hard work, especially without the budget! That’s why the developers need as much support as they can get!”

“While I suppose I can sympathize, you are using this for nefarious means,” Komaeda said. “And that feels like not only an insult to Twilight Syndrome but to all video games.”

“I was such a huge fan of that series,” Nanami lamented. “And now it’s been ruined.”

“What should be ruined is your face from tears of joy!” Monokuma growled. “See, this is to make up for earlier!”

“Earlier?” Matsuda repeated, just as quite a few of the others perked up.

“Oho, got your attention now? Upupupu... This game has a certain theme. Of forgotten connections. If you want to know more, then play, play, play! It won’t be the same as remembering for yourself—but it’ll still be one hell of an experience!”

_...so that’s it._

“You’re saying this contains some of our lost memories,” Matsuda said, narrowing his eyes sharply. “And what’s the catch? How do we know you didn’t put false information in there to mislead us?”

“You’ll see for yourself if you beat it,” Monokuma explained.

“That’s definitely a trap!” Koizumi exclaimed. “No way are any of us going near that thing!”

“Y-Yeah, if that’s supposed to motivate us to kill, we’re better off not playing!” Souda added to which Nidai laughed.

“Gyahaha! I see no other **_OPTION_**!!!”

“B-But...” Tsumiki stammered. “I-I wonder if...we’ll be allowed to do that.”

“Well, it’s true I can’t force any of you,” Monokuma chirped. “If that’s your plan, then fine by me. But I do have to ask if it’ll be all that _effective_. Can you trust everyone here to not act out? Like you did _last_ _time_?”

Matsuda did flinch at that, and there was a chill settled on the shoulders of Jabberwock Park. He sighed, then, pinching his nose before speaking up.

“No, that’s a good point. We should discuss matters further instead of passively praying nothing happens.”

“That and I don’t trust Monokuma to be content just waiting around for something to happen,” Komaeda said. “So let’s put our heads together, everyone!”

“With someone like _you_ , that would be a calamitous action to take,” Tanaka murmured.

“K-Keep your fucking head far away from us!” Souda hissed. “We shouldn’t have to do _shit_ if we don’t want to!”

“I-I just don’t want to think about it,” Koizumi stammered. “It’s...clearly a trap, so we definitely...shouldn’t...”

“I hate all this thinking, it’s just gonna get real fucking aggravating,” Owari harrumphed. “Hey, Matsuda, maybe this is just another situation where we shouldn’t think. Ever thought of that?”

_The fact that she of all people would say it—_

“Y’know, resolve is a powerful thing,” Monokuma cut in. “While all of you are wringing your hands, shillyshallying and dillydallying about what to do, someone could swoop in, unlock the secrets of the game and come up with a plan to take all of you out! Initiative! Could be a real game-changer and a real crowd-killer!”

“The hell are you saying?!” Hinata demanded.

“I’m saying what I’m saying! All of you are enemies! And at the end of the day, you can’t trust anyone! Do you seriously want to be on the defense all the time? That’s just so lame! But!” Monokuma blew a raspberry. “Not much I can do! But suggest you reeeeeeally reconsider! Toodles for now!”

He bounced away after that, Matsuda twitching with irritation.

“I do believe it would be better to simply wait,” Sonia utters, raising her voice admirably. “Let the matter settle and...decide later.”

“Simply approaching this game without any kind of strategy may be a mistake,” Pekoyama agreed.

“But we can’t expect everyone here to respect that,” Saionji pointed out. “Any wannabe culprit can use this thing against us as leverage and we’ll be totally helpless.”

“D-Do you think that?” Hinata managed.

“Obviously,” Kuzuryuu huffed. “She’s completely right. In a game like this, it’s kill or be killed. And like fucking hell I’ll end up like those other pitiful fucks.”

“You say that like this is a game we can win if we play,” Matsuda retorted. “It’s naïve to think everything will end with one victor. It’ll end when _all_ of us are dead.”

“Fucking hell, you really are a coward,” Kuzuryuu snapped. “You’re no better.”

With those spitting words, Kuzuryuu left, shoulders hunched as Matsuda’s glare bore into his back.

“I-Insults aside... Kuzuryuu-san isn’t...completely wrong.” Tsumiki trailed off.

“So what are you saying?!” Owari exclaimed furiously. “Are you gonna kill someone, then?!”

“N-No, of course not!” Tsumiki sobbed. “I-It’s just—can we actually be safe like this?!”

Koizumi opened her mouth to answer, but she ended up hesitating.

“Geeeeez.”

Matsuda let out a heavy sigh.

“It’s way too late for this shit and your hapless chatter isn’t helping. I don’t think anyone’s gonna fucking do shit about it _now_ , so let’s put a pin in this discussion until morning.”

“Regardless of what conclusion we come to, whether the game is played or now, we absolutely can’t continue this killing game,” Nanami said firmly. “I won’t stand for it.”

“And what are you going to do, again?” Matsuda snapped. “While those sentiments are nice to just say, they don’t assure us of anything.”

“I’m feeling a little assured, actually,” Mioda chirped. “The way Chiaki-chan said that was cool.”

_Right..._

“Showing a steadfast position is a good thing!” Komaeda exclaimed. “Bravo, Nanami-san!”

Nanami puffed her cheeks as a few choice others scowled.

“As long as _you’re_ kept under check, we only have to worry about one guy,” Souda muttered darkly. “So let’s not worry. See y’all tomorrow.”

“It might be better to mull things over,” Koizumi murmured. “But no matter what choice I make—I’m never going to kill anyone. Never.”

“M-Me neither,” Tsumiki agreed. “N-Never...!”

“With all that settled,” Nanami yawned. “It’s late... Mm...”

She does still look intently at the arcade, to which Matsuda spun her around by the shoulders and shoved her.

“Then back to bed, all of you. Don’t forget. We’ll be deciding what to do in the morning.” _Although I already have so much to worry about._ “I’ll write up some plans, probably.”

“Such initiative,” Komaeda swooned. “Befitting a symbol of hope!”

“You, too,” Matsuda hissed, pushing him as well. “You, in particular, need to get back to bed.”

He noted Hinata glancing at them, but everyone else was content to retire, to try and make up for time lost thanks to Monokuma. The evening announcement afterward only sealed it.

_But, the thing is..._

“Goodnight, Matsuda-kun!”

“Yeah, night.”

As he slammed Komaeda’s door shut, he found himself still drawn towards the direction of the park. Of that stupid arcade machine.

_It’d be nice—to just go back to bed and worry later. But._

Sighing, Matsuda stomped back irritably.

_I need to make sure we’re safe for at least one measly fucking night._

* * *

“What the fuck?! Seriously?!”

Matsuda groaned lowly, rolling onto his side. The position wasn’t much more comfortable, with the angle promising a sprained back and spine, but he flailed his arm in the general direction of that indignant squawk.

“Too...fucking early...go away.”

“Did you fucking sleep here?! Like this? Like a _fucking_ hobo?!”

“Mmmrr.” He covers his face, but it’s not doing much against the sun, to his growing irritation. His head is throbbing. As is his neck. His ass. His arms. His everything. Because no human fucking being was designed to sleep propped up against a damn arcade machine. Especially outside on a tropical island.

“Seriously, what the actual hell,” the other hissed, indignant. “How fucking stupid _are_ you?”

Matsuda yawned and, honestly, his vision was blurring so he was having difficulty focusing.

“If you wanna play, it’ll cost at least uh....thousand tokens...no, a mill... Bill... Trill...” He rubs at his eyes, grumbling. “Fuck, stop multiplying...”

“Oh my fucking god.”

Smacking his cheeks, Matsuda finally managed to drearily meet the gaze of a fuming, furious Kuzuryuu.

“Mmm.” He pops his lips. “Yeah, uh... A trillion tokens, your firstborn, and five packets of melon bread.”

Kuzuryuu’s response was to kick him in the side. Hard. Hard enough to wake him up completely.

“Argh, you bitch!”

“I should be saying that you fucking _shit_ —! God, you really are just—so damn infuriating! It’s like you want to die!”

“Right back at you, dumbass!”

“You—!”

“A _hem_.”

Pekoyama cleared her throat, having appeared from just beyond the draw distance.

“You must not fight,” she said simply. “It is almost time for breakfast.”

Kuzuryuu, rather than looking at either of them for a moment longer, just stormed off. Matsuda cursed, curling in on himself and rubbing his bruised side.

_The second I get off this island, I’m fucking suing the school._

“Ah... Are you alright, Matsuda?” Pekoyama kneels before him. “I can go fetch Tsumiki if your pride would allow it.”

Matsuda ran a hand down his face, grimacing as his joints popped.

“While being kicked wasn’t pleasant, it does distract me from the soreness everywhere else,” he replied, rubbing at his neck. It was still aching considerably. “I’ll be fine. I can bandage myself again if need be.”

“I see.” She nodded. “So... You did not go to your cottage after last night?”

“With everything I said, I found it didn’t actually sit well with me just leaving this thing alone.” Matsuda straightens out his legs, rubbing them next. “Good thing I did, because that dipshit couldn’t be bothered to wait a day.”

“Have you played it?” Pekoyama asked with eyes narrowed sharply.

“Nah, that wouldn’t do me any favors.” _It’d damage my credibility to just act like that without telling anyone._ “If it’s going to get played at all, it shouldn’t be done individually...in groups, maybe? Ahhh, but convincing anyone other than Komaeda Nagito and the space cadet is probably gonna be a hard sell...”

_Nor is it the most reliable party of quirky characters._

“For the time being, it would be best for you to go eat breakfast and possibly lie down,” Pekoyama said. “You are quite diligent, Matsuda, but... This does not seem to be healthy. Pardon me.”

“Weren’t you paying attention?” he griped. “I can’t leave this stupid thing by itself.”

“I can guard it in the meantime if that truly concerns you so,” she said. “Will that be satisfactory?”

He makes a complicated noise.

“I do wish to make up for the party,” she went on. “In spite of my guarding—I was not able to prevent any of the events that transpired.”

“That’s not your fault,” he retorted. “But, I guess that’s not the most reassuring statement.”

_Although..._ He eyed her expression warily. Stoic, with intense crimson eyes that had him shudder from cold—familiarity.

_...everything hurts. I can’t exactly guard anything in this state._

Pekoyama offers him her hand. Matsuda hesitates for a moment, but he ends up taking it and she pulls him to his feet with ease.

“You should eat something, at least, Matsuda.”

“Yeah, probably.” He scratches at his scalp and it feels disgusting from oil, sweat, and dirt. “It’ll be unfair to just leave you guarding this indefinitely so I’ll write up a schedule for others to step in, maybe? Like, say, a couple of hours from now?”

Pekoyama nodded. “Very well.”

“I’ll also try and gather up a group to take a look at the game, but I expect that to take at least a day.” Matsuda sighed. “That...among other things.”

_I have a rabbit to interrogate to be sure. A lot to do. And I won’t be cutting any heads open. Boo._

“Very well,” she repeated. “I shall guard diligently for as long as need be.”

“Thanks, it means a lot.” He yawned. “But, if you get tired of doing it, don’t hesitate to holler or intimidate someone else into taking over.”

“That will not be necessary.”

“It’s fucking sweltering out, I promise you’re going to feel disgusting after a while so I insist,” Matsuda huffed, scowling. “Not to mention Miss Photographer is going to be all up my ass if she finds out you’re overworking yourself. For both our sakes, at least try to take care.”

Pekoyama was quiet, expression unmoved. Of course, that bothered Matsuda even more.

“That not-nurse will cry, too, so... Think about it. If I had to guess, you’re probably the kind of person who gets uncomfortable with others fussing over you, so to avoid that...” He trails off, feeling irritably flustered. “Yeah.”

“Understood.”

_Said with that same straight face. Well, I guess that’s that._

He waved her off without another word, groaning from pain as he walked off. His back, neck, and head hurt something fierce—but he also needed another shower. He felt almost slimy.

Pekoyama’s boring blood-red gaze on his back didn’t help, but he wasn’t going to take it personally.

_That chick can be reliable at least._

* * *

_The first order of business is the damn arcade machine. Now that I know pinstripe baby has his eye on it, I have to at least arrange it so that someone’s watching it at almost all times. The plan and biggest hurdle after that would be..._

“As much as I like games, that arcade machine that Monokuma-chan made gives me maaaaajor bad evil vibes! So I’m just gonna noooooot! Ooh, but I can be a guard, no prob! I’ll SCREAM whenever someone even looks at it! _That’ll_ scare off any ne’er-do-wells!”

“Well... I guess that’s more than I expected from you...”

“A sugary compliment from the ice king! Waaaah, my heart’s _aflame_!”

“Urgh.”

...

“I’ve got no interest in arcadia whatsoever, but I’ll guard ‘em fine. I won’t forgive any wanna-be killers! But I’m going to get bored just...standing there so like...eh.”

“I’ll give you more food. Also, I guess I could get Coach Meathead to watch with you since he’s not much for video games either.”

“Did you just say _meat_?!”

...

“The gales do not sing today—I pray that such silence is not an omen of ill.”

“Yeah, whatever, anyway... I wanted to ask...”

“About that meager game, correct? Is that what brings you before me?”

“Yeah—”

“I’ve no time for such frivolities! For you see! That which you call a game lies a realm created by lesser beings! Mwahahaha! It is put a farce! A pitiful attempt at God! _But you see_! This is not just a farce but a mimicry! Because you feeble-minded fools can only _imitate_ our grandeur!”

“...”

“Heheheheh...what is the matter? Does the truth sting?”

“Why the _actual_ _fuck_ did I even bother talking to you.”

...

“He—”

“I-I see that look in your eye and I don’t like it at all! Back the hell off! I’m not doing anything weird for you like hacking that weird machine or dismantling it! I’ll definitely get punished if I do!”

“...”

“If you want to get yourself killed, then...well that leaves us to deal with that nutcase, huh. S-So! You shouldn’t do anything risky either, got it?! Even if you are a total asshole, that’d be an even bigger pain!”

“...”

“Stay the hell away from me and stay the fuck away from Sonia-san! That’s all I gotta say!”

“...huh.”

**_These fucking people..._ **

* * *

“So you want to look into the motive, after all, Matsuda-san... Hmm.”

“I mean...it’d be better to amass a group of people to look at it with me, but... Not a lot of people are willing to give it a shot.” Matsuda shrugged. “And, honestly, Twilight Syndrome does sound like...your kinda thing, princess.”

“Please, just Sonia is fine.” She gives a gentle smile that contrasted harshly against that wicked twinkle in her eye. “And while you are correct that the premise Twilight Syndrome is very within my interests... Because of Monokuma’s involvement, my enthusiasm has...wilted a bit, you could say.”

“Yeah, that’s understandable.”

_Hell, I’m not exactly trusting either but... We can’t counter what we don’t fully understand._

“That said,” Sonia went on. “I do wish to avoid further bloodshed, so... I think I will join your celebration, Matsuda-san. I am much honored to be here!”

“Party, you mean _party_.”

“Why yes! It will be quite the revelry! Monokuma shall soon face his dom!”

“I... Okay. Sure.” He should just be glad he has one volunteer. He should just be glad he has _one_ volunteer. “Then, we’ll meet up later tonight. After the last person’s done guarding for the day. I’ll try to get more people but...aside from the gaming otaku and Komaeda, I’m not expecting much in terms of results...”

“Komaeda-san, huh? I suppose it would be better that way. I agree with your strategy.” Sonia nodded. “Matsuda-san, I shall try to rally support as well.”

“Good luck with that,” he said, rubbing at his neck. “Speaking of which, I should probably grab Komaeda and get some breakfast...”

“You always do eat so terribly late! Is that healthy?”

“Probably not. But it’s whatever.” He waved her off. “Anyway, good luck again. You need doubly good luck.”

“You really are so generous, Matsuda-san!” she exclaimed after him and—urgh, he needed another shower to wash _that_ off.

Except, his cottage was too far and Komaeda’s was right there. So he just knocked on the door and waited for it to open with an even more disgustingly saccharine face to greet him. He, unfortunately, was not disappointed.

“Good morning, Matsuda-kun!”

“Yeah, morning.”

“Oh!” Wide eyes. Soft frown. A slight tilt of the head. “Matsuda-kun did you get any sleep at all?”

Twitch. **Twitch**.

“It’s whatever.” _Also too late in the day to go back to bed. We have shit to do. So._ “Enough chatter. Let’s get going.”

“Okay!”

Success with that, at least.

* * *

“H-Hyuu! Uuu! Wah!”

“Goooooal.”

_Ah, the otaku’s busy playing a game again. Figures._

That Tsumiki was also there was something to take note of. Especially with how desperately she fiddled with the controllers, and then when it was over, she burst out laughing, flushed and sparkling.

“Another round?” Nanami asked, ever stoic and unaffected. In such a contrast, Tsumiki nodded happily and excitedly.

“Yes, yes, yes!”

_So that’s what her actual smile looks like..._

It’d be rude to interrupt, so Matsuda tugs a humming Komaeda along and up the stairs to the restaurant.

“Mahiru-oneeeeee... It spilled...!”

“Ah, you overfilled it. But that’s okay, Hiyoko-chan. Better too much than too little! Let’s quickly wipe up what fell!”

“Okaaaaay!”

“Ah.” Matsuda popped his lips, tightening his grip on Komaeda’s sleeve. “You two.”

“Saionji-san, Koizumi-san!” Komaeda greeted, unaffected by the way the two returned his cheerful grin with less than enthusiastic grimaces. “Good morning to both of you!”

“Ew, it’s the pests,” Saionji sneered, pressing closer to Koizumi. “You’re finally up and taking the pest pet out on a walk, Matsuda-nii?”

“You wouldn’t answer your door, Matsuda,” Koizumi griped, unimpressed with both of them. “Are you taking this situation seriously?”

“Sorry, I was too busy with other things.”

“Like what?!”

“Things. Anyway. Food, food. Come on.” He pulled on Komaeda’s sleeve. “It’s brunch time.”

“I-If you’re going to be watching over that guy, you could at least wake up at a reasonable hour!” Koizumi exclaimed, exasperated. “Sheeeesh, you’re making for a crappy caretaker!”

“Yeah, at this rate, he’s gonna starve to death and we’re gonna end up in anoooother trial,” Saionji sing-songs before snickering. “But that’d probably be a good thing. It’d be really funny to be sure.”

“So kind to show such consideration!” Komaeda lit up. “And for someone like me!”

“Yeah, yeah, get some food and stop paying gremlins any mind.”

“G-Gremlins?! So mean, Matsuda-nii!”

“Matsuda, seriously...”

_What?_

Matsuda scoffed at their antics, gathering up food for his plate. Koizumi was bristling, but she remained focused on her task. She was packing a bento carefully, something Matsuda couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at.

“It’s for Peko-chan,” she said as if reading his mind. “Because _someone_ just told her to guard a dumb machine for hours in the heat.”

“She offered,” Matsuda shot back. A pause. “I’m surprised that candy brat is helping you out, though.”

“The sooner Mahiru-onee finishes, the sooner she can walk me to the supermarket to buy all kinds of sweet treats!” Saionji exclaimed. “It’s simple as that!”

_Sure, sure, of course, any generosity you show would be entirely self-serving._

“It’s still such a nice gesture,” Komaeda chirped. “Ah, Matsuda-kun, you’re just piling a bunch of miscellaneous things together on your plate again.”

“Should I make you lunch, too? It’d be a problem if you made yourself sick, _doctor_ ,” Koizumi griped.

“I mean if you _want_ to, camgirl.”

“I-I don’t! And don’t call me that!”

“Yeah, doctor pervo, don’t be a fucking sicko to Mahiru-onee!”

“You really should be more tactful, Matsuda-kun...”

“Puh, puh.” _It’s not that big of a deal considering the crowd._ “Puh.”

_But I really shouldn’t get too distracted._

“Anyway, since you already know about the current arrangement with the chick of the blade, I guess I should just cut to the chase.” He does set down his food but turns to Koizumi all the same. “Are you gonna help guard the thing?”

“I’m a little busy but I can certainly make time for it,” was her easy response.

“So reliable,” Komaeda cooed as Saionji glowered at him.

“Right.” Matsuda nodded. “In addition to that...”

“Are you going to ask me to play it?”

Koizumi wasn’t looking at him, but Saionji’s glare sharpened significantly. Matsuda makes a face, but the latter snaps before he can respond.

“Her Royal Heinous was asking around for people to rally for that stupid thing, it was so nauseating, but of course _you’re_ responsible for that, Matsuda-nii.”

“Oi, oi...”

“The thing is,” Koizumi spoke up, raising her voice. “I do—get it. We can’t just avoid it forever, but...whenever I look at it, I’m stuck with just...a really, really bad feeling.”

Even turned away, Matsuda can see her shoulders quiver and tense, fingers digging into her palm, nails leaving behind indents. She does still manage to safely wrap up the bento, taking in a deep breath before exhaling just as much.

“I just... I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all...”

_She sounds unsettled._

Komaeda hummed.

“But, Koizumi-san—you know that simply adverting your eyes won’t resolve anything, don’t you?”

She flinched as Komaeda giggled, offering a simple smile even as her expression twisted up painfully.

“You can only find hope by confronting despair. The best thing to do would to be proactive and face it on your own. _Riiiiight_?”

Koizumi trembled, knees buckling.

“I...” Her voice nearly broke. “I-I...”

_...hm._

It was only due to Saionji abruptly clinging to her that she didn’t collapse then and there.

“Back off, you fucking creep!” Saionji spat out venomously. “Like hell I’ll let you mislead Mahiru-onee the way you did Hanamura!”

“Hi...” Koizumi swallows, regaining a bit of herself. “Hiyoko-chan...”

“Aha, that wasn’t my intention! I was just saying...” Komaeda waved his hands, smile now straining. “Oh, dear, you do look quite pale, Koizumi-san...”

“Whose fault is that?!” Saionji barked. “Come on, Mahiru-onee! You’re done here right?! Let’s go! Let’s get treats to wash out that nasty sour taste! Sour is the worst!”

“R...Right. Yes.” She nodded. “Let’s hurry and deliver this to Peko-chan... You’re right.”

“Sorry about him,” Matsuda said in a tone that wasn’t terribly apologetic. “He’s a work in progress.”

“Well work harder!” Saionji seethed. “You quack!”

“Now _that’s_ going a bit too far...”

He said that, but it was obvious that Saionji wasn’t interested in listening any longer. Koizumi was the same, with both of them hurrying out although Matsuda did note them going hand-in-hand, one squeezing tightly and the other reciprocating. An exchange of stability, which was invaluable in a situation like this.

Komaeda had the decency to give him a slightly apologetic smile when they were gone.

“Sorry, Matsuda-kun, it looks like I chased her off, aha...”

“I kind of knew neither of them would go for it, but you really just...shouldn’t talk to people. Let me handle conversations.”

“Eh? But you’re so uncouth sometimes... Not that I doubt your Ultimate capabilities! It’s just...you know.”

“Yeah,” he agreed. “But you’re _you_.”

Komaeda just laughed.

“I suppose that’s true.”

* * *

“Are you going to play the game? I’m going too, right? I think I should.”

“I assumed you were.”

“H-Heeeeeh?! So then what Sonia-san said...! U-Uuu...” Tsumiki sniffled. “Matsuda-san... You really are brave. Just looking at that arcade gives me a horrible, horrible feeling.”

_She’s not the only one. That’s...peculiar, isn’t it?_

“What kind of horrible feeling?” he asked.

“Is that appropriate to ask?” Komaeda wondered, to which he was ignored.

“Well...my stomach churns...and my ears ring a little. I-I think it’s just dread.” She fiddled with her fingers. “B-But obviously I’m not going to stop anyone...who wants to play it.”

“We’ll be fine, Tsumiki-san,” Nanami said. “Probably.”

“P-Please do be fine, I-I want to play more games with you, Nanami-san!”

“Oh. Then... Definitely.”

“D-Definitely!”

“Friendship sure is wonderful!” Komaeda exclaimed while Matsuda furrowed his brow.

_As happy as Tsumiki looks—the space cadet’s face hasn’t changed at all..._

“That’s all I wanted to discuss,” he just said. “Goodbye to both of you.”

“I’ll see you later tonight,” Nanami replied. “If you need to see me sooner—you know where to find me.”

“M-Me too!” Tsumiki exclaimed. “U-Um! Even if I can’t stand guard myself... I-I can check on those who are. Make sure no one passes out from...heat exhaustion...or anything like that.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Matsuda said as Komaeda cheered.

_Alright now onto other things..._

“To have such talented Ultimates with us,” Komaeda swooned as they walked even as they were long out of sight for the girls. “We really are so, so lucky!”

_Well, right now—_

“...oi, Komaeda. It’s pretty hot out, huh.”

“Hm?” Those doe eyes blinked at him. “Well, yes, I suppose.”

Despite the twist in lips, Matsuda could see that Komaeda Nagito’s face was red from the heat. That there were sweat-slick ivory strands stuck to his forehead under heavy, fluffy fringe. In contrast to the garish light of day, this guy really did look like an old-ass bedsheet dug out of storage from the attic.

_But if he feels uncomfortable, he’s not going to say so. He’s **that** kind of fucker._

“Do you have anything you want to do while we’re out and about?”

“Oh, no! Anything you want to do, Matsuda-kun! You’re watching me, after all.”

“Hm.”

_This fucker._

“I’m getting tired of your face and I really would rather look at a manga right now.”

“Oh!” Komaeda’s eyes went wide. “Would you like to go to the library, then? Or back to your cottage?”

“I like to read and walk but I don’t like having someone breathe down my shoulder as I do.”

“I see! You don’t want to deal with me at all right now! Ahaha, that’s completely understandable!”

Komaeda’s bout of cheerful laughter dulled Matsuda’s mood even more.

“The manga I picked up at the library was beyond mediocre, so I’m going to exchange it for something else. You can grab something else there if you want, I don’t care.”

“We don’t have any library fees and yet Matsuda-kun’s so responsible! As expected of the wonderful Ultimate Neurologist!”

Komaeda beamed even more. This time, his mood lightened a little. But not by much.

“...it’s just common courtesy,” he muttered, looking away with a huff.

Komaeda’s responding giggle, despite being much softer, was a lot more sincere.

* * *

He did exchange his manga. And Komaeda grabbed quite a few novels, humming as he did. That good mood remained even when they split up for Komaeda to go back to his cottage. Komaeda cheerfully waved, reiterated their meeting for tonight, and shut the door behind him with a click. A pretty gentle scene, something that wouldn’t be out of place in a simple high school slice of life. Just. On an island.

And on that same island, Monomi landed face-first against a palm tree after being swatted away by the snake Monobeast.

It was about as jarring as going from a guy whining about baby’s first case of athlete’s foot to someone who coughed up a handful of damaged lung tissue. In fact, Monomi did cough up a bit of stuffing and Matsuda was admittedly curious as to what that would constitute as.

_Bile, blood, saliva...organs? The possibilities are endless._

“U-Uuu... Too tough... Sensei needs more strength... Oh no!” Monomi shrieked at upon noticing that the branch that had broken her fall was now in pieces. “My... My weapon! Ohhhh nooo... Now what will I do?”

“It’s a stick,” he informed her. “There are plenty of those on these islands.”

“M-Matsuda-kun! Ooh! Did you come to cheer sensei on?!” With that stitched-on mouth stupidly agape, those beady little eyes were also sparkling with...sea water...surely. “S-So kind! I won’t let you down!!”

_I can’t imagine being more disappointed than I already am by this thing. But not too long ago I wouldn’t have imagined being in this situation. The possibilities are indeed endless._

“I wanted to ask you some more questions,” he said. “That is if you’re up to answering and don’t need someone to stitch you up. I’m sure someone on this island knows how to sew.”

“Ah, no, it’s fine! I’m only a little roughened up, but I’m as sturdy as I am cuddly!” Monomi puffed out her chest. Indeed, she wasn’t torn up, but she was roughened up more than just a little. “What does my dear pwecious student want from me?”

“I wanted to know more about the islands and what our situation was supposed to be before Monokuma showed up.”

“...ah.” She deflated like a balloon. “I-I... Um. W-Well, we were supposed to go on a lovey-dovey heart-throbbing...”

“That part I remember. But _how_ did we get here?”

“M... Magic, of course! I-I may not look it now, but sensei _was_ a magical girl you know!!” She tried to puff up again, but it was a sad, sad attempt. “I’m channeling up my energy as we speak... I can regain my original form for a whole half-minute now! It takes a long time to channel it up again after that, but—But I’ll take that meanie Monokuma down in no time!”

_No, that’s going to take a lot of time. Time that desperate high school students aren’t going to be happy with. Especially like this._

“That information is useless to me,” he said, making her stumble as if smacked down by the words. “What _actual_ explanations can you give me to better understand what we’re dealing with?”

Monomi trembled, sweating like bullets. Except that was also seawater. Probably. Had to be. She reeked of salt and sand.

“U-Um.” She fidgeted, pressing her paws together. “Well... As long as you all work together with hope in your hearts, you can overcome any obstacle. I truly believe that. Even if the times are dark, as long as you can find the light within one another and yourselves, you’ll always be able to pull through.”

“...huuuuuh.”

“I believe in all of you...with all my heart!”

“...”

Matsuda averted his gaze, expression impassive.

_It’d be nice if I could believe, too._

Because she had gotten him into such a mood, he couldn’t help but think of Komaeda Nagito. Stupid, smiling, self-destructive Komaeda Nagito.

“You really can’t say any more than that?” he asked, scowling. Monomi snapped up and cowered a little, saying nothing as he went on. “Is that because of how you were programmed? Or is that the result of the person controlling you?”

“U-Uuu...”

_Can’t say? Then, how about...?_

“Is the traitor working for you or Monokuma?”

“T-There’s no traitor!” Monomi squeaked, high-pitched and unconvincing. “T-That meanie Monokuma said that to trick you!”

“So _no_ _one_ here is working with the outside force responsible for at least some of this shit happening?”

“I-I... Um... All of you are classmates...” Monomi went right back to fidgeting and sweating. “You should...believe in your classmates...not doubt them...”

He nods along as unimpressed as ever. He thinks of Komaeda Nagito again and grumbles as he pinches the bridge of his nose.

_Interrogating this rodent is irritating. I can only infer based on responses this vague and flimsy. Nothing concrete. The absence of evidence isn’t evidence of absence. But—there is one thing I should get a firm answer on if nothing else._

“Is there a hospital anywhere on these islands?”

“Oh!” Monomi immediately straightened up, relieved. “Yes! Of course! It’s on the third island!”

“The third...island.” His head tilted. “As in the island you were trying to gain access to.”

“Yes!”

Well.

That settled it then.

“What are you slacking off for? Get your ass back in the fray.”

“H-Huh? _Huwah_!”

Matsuda snatched her up by the ears again. She kicked her feet to no avail as she was carried along like a rag doll.

“M-Matsuda-kun...! P-Please be gentler!”

“The snake Monobeast is just over there,” he muttered, eyeing the thing slithering and coiling. “All you have to do is get rid of it and we’ll have access to the hospital, right?”

“Y-Yes, but I... I need a weapon!”

Scoffing, Matsuda picked up a random branch and shoved it into her hands.

“H-Hiiii?”

“Go make your students proud,” was his last remark before he flung his teacher back into the fray.

“W- ** _WAAAAAAAH_**!”


End file.
